VISAKHAPATNAM : Heritage lovers and students walked through the bylanes of Vizag to get an insight on the rich history of the erstwhile Vizagapatnam on Tuesday. Every bylane of One Town area has interesting stories from the 18th century to share.
Many heritage lovers, youth and elders alike, took part in a heritage walk organised marking the World Heritage Day as Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) member Jayashree Hatangadi explained about the historical significance of the city dating back to the 18th century.
From the Town Hall, Kurupam Market, European cemetery, Queen Victoria’s Pavilion, St John’s Church to the Queen Mary School, Ishaq Madina Dargah, St. Aloysius School and lighthouse, the significance of these colonial structures was brought out during the three-hour walk.
The walk was flagged off by MLA Ganesh Kumar Vasupalli at the Town Hall at 6 am. As many as 125 persons, including children and senior citizens, participated.
Though the grand Town Hall was built in 1893 and has a lot of historical significance, a few know about its existence. This was evident as people who were willing to join the heritage walk were looking out for its location.
“From 5.45 am to 6.30 am, around eight people (one by one) asked me about the location of the Town Hall. I was surprised as people never asked for the address of the Town Hall and I questioned myself, what is special today?
The one person told me that many people gathered today to know the significance of one of the oldest areas,” said a resident of the One Town said while cleaning his bicycle.
Sai Neelima of St.Joseph’s College said that it was interesting to know the facts of the city she is living in.
“This is the first time that I joined the walk and learnt about the different heritage structures and sites which are not taught in the school or college. I will share all the interesting stories with my friends,” she said.