VIZAG matters - Sohan Hatangadi's Blog

Our Town Hall in VIZAG, India was built in 1904 and has witnessed the high points of Vizag's social, cultural and literary events. During India's freedom movement our town hall has played a central role in hosting important meetings. Today it lies in dilapidated condition. Thankfully our Greater Visakha Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has taken the first baby steps in preventing further deterioration by cancelling the lease of the  premises to a person who was renting it for weddings. It had become a filthy and stinking hell hole. Now it is not dirty inside but it is in a rundown condition. Our corporation has good intentions to revive it but as in several cases intent and implementation is miles apart. Despite many assurances from our Corporation, the town hall continues to be a neglected monument of Vizag's illustrious past. No one knows why it is not being done. No will? No management skills? No money? We have money to blow up on transient events on the beac...

Vizag’s hidden history Sohan Hatangadi Times of India Vizag Edition  21 February 2016 People fascinated by Indian history are familiar with historical facts of several old towns and cities such as Varanasi, Hyderabad, Chennai or Mumbai. While most old Indian cities and towns have interesting past our own Vizag has a secret history that has escaped some of us residing here all our lives. We pass by structures surrounded by buildings as we rush about our work scarcely throwing a glance at those forgotten spots that have played a significant part in Vizag’s past. Tourist brochures convey a simplistic view of Vizag’s history describing it as a “sleepy fishing village” that over time transformed into today’s bustling city. Somehow we visualise a bunch of fisher folk sleeping all day. In fact Vizag has been an important town for many centuries and has witnessed the ebb and tide of rulers, armies, cultures and outstanding men of vision - who slept very little. What’s ...

The banyan trees at the recruiting office My article that appeared in The Times of India  on 11 December 2016 Half a century ago, in old Vizag, near the recently restored lighthouse, stood a recruiting office under the shade of large banyan trees. Men for the army, navy and air force were recruited here. The first floor of this building served as the residence of M.K. Unni Menon and his family. He was in-charge of recruitment. Mrs. Menon was a hospitable lady who encouraged children to gather at her home and play in the recruiting office grounds. These “grounds” were not just some open area but an exciting, mysterious, magical world where many children got in touch with the wonders of the nature. Banyan trees The recruiting office ‘grounds’ and surrounding areas had two massive banyan trees ( Ficus benghalensis ). These could be accessed by friends of the Menons. There was another large tree outside the grounds to the East which was in the public domain. These maj...

Dear Friend, From the past two years several representations have been made to our city officials to have this historic heritage school building repaired. Every time the response has been favorable and sympathetic but there has been no forward movement. We all know that our officials are very very busy with  other  matters.  This silly two and half century old building is not a priority for local administration. They have to look after so many important things like visiting and local dignitaries who go around the city with their sirens blaring attending one conference or the other.   Who cares if the historic heritage building falls?  Meanwhile our history is being lost. Now they want to widen the main road to 100 ft from Jagadamba Jn. to Old Post Office. If you remember the historic 1914 King Edward VII Coronation Market ( Kurupam Market ) was brought down by GVMC on 19 Nov 2013 without public consultation, stealthily and overnig...

Most of Vizag’s older residents lived in what we called “One Town” because the pin code for that area was simply “1”. While most parts of the old town were densely packed it also had several gracious old buildings like the recruiting office and officer’s accommodation that stood under the shade of massive banyan trees. The trees spread like an aerial city with sturdy roots supporting stout branches for hundreds of feet in all directions. Soldierpeta As the area was home to British soldiers it was also called “Soldierpeta”. In the 1960s and 70s when the port expanded its operations, coal and iron ore dust spread like a cancer over that part of town. Nice big structures were razed to the ground and slum like quarters sprang up everywhere. No one bothered about aesthetics and elegance; someone just pointed at the ground and simply said “build here” and that was it. Consequently from being the pulsating heart of Vizag it went to a scar that no one bothered to heal. The charac...