Vijayawada, the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh is located on the banks of the Krishna River, and is bounded by the lndrakiladri hills on the West and the Budameru river on the North. Situated along the Madras-Howrah and Madras-Delhi rail route, this is the largest railway junction of the South Central Railway. The city forms a part of the Krishna district, and is spread over an area of 58 sq. kms (urban area), with a population of 7 Lakhs (1991 census).

History

The discovery of pre-historic remains belonging to the stone-age man all along the banks' of the river from Machilipatnam to Nagarjuna Sagar provides evidence that this part of the river valley was inhabited by the stonage man.

A legend narrates that Vijayawada was established by Arjuna around the Malleswara temple and Indrakiladri hills in commemoration of Lord Siva's Darsan he had, and thus named after him as Vijayawada.

During the British Raj the city experienced significant growth. In particular, the completion of the Krishna Barrage in 1854, and Railway Bridge on Krishna have helped the region expand its gricultural and commercial base.

Regional Setting

Vijayawada is an important link in connecting the three regions of Andhra Pradesh and is a major transit point. Two National Highways, the National Highway 5 from Madras to Calcutta and the National Highway 9 from Machilipatnam to Hyderabad pass through the City connecting it to other parts of the country. It is connected to other areas of the state by state highways and district roads. The domestic airport located at Gannavaram, about 20 km., from the city connects Vijayawada to Hyderabad by air.

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Last Updated : 2002-02-20 21:39:00