VIZAG matters - Sohan Hatangadi's Blog

  Jayshree Hatangadi Heritage Narrator's theme was "180 degrees six stories"

ONLY OTHERS KNOW BETTER Vizagites are not smart enough to know of our problems

In 2014, a group of heritage enthusiasts, visiting Bavikonda stumbled upon a fenced piece of  land near the ancient Buddhist Monuments. Ever since the question as to who owns the land and how they came to possess such a land next to a protected 3rd Century BC heritage site has puzzled many. Questions were asked of local administration but no answers have come in the last four years. This video highlights the story in 2 minutes.

VUDA'S BUDGET for this year appeared in the media last week. So many crores being spent on future projects. Not even small change for our valuable heritage buildings. Every one of our historical buildings is crumbling. For years our administration have made promises that they will take up repairs but NOTHING REALLY HAPPENS!!! Every glowing report in the papers is talking of the future. No one asks what happened to the hundreds of promises made every year. Meanwhile our histo ry becomes dust. In front of our eyes. I have dozens of stories of neglect and supreme apathy. On one hand we talk of being smart and on the other hand we are dumb enough to allow our history to vanish. WORLD HERITAGE DAY IS ON 18 APRIL 2018. This is a good time for Vizagites to raise their voices. And for our media to go beyond just reporting bulletins and ask the questions that matter. IF YOU CARE, PLEASE SHARE

PRESS NOTE 3 April 2018 ‘World Heritage Day 2018’ Photo Exhibition VISAKHA CAMERA CLUB is organizing a Heritage Photo Exhibition on the following dates: April 17th 2018 from 5 pm to 7 pm  & April 18th 2018  from 11 am to 7.30 pm at Visakha Museum Awakening an empathy for heritage, the purpose of this event is to build awareness among Vizagites about their fascinating heritage comprising ancient monuments, recent or old buildings that have heritage value, natural landscapes that are a gift of nature to our city, flora and fauna, arts and crafts, traditional utensils, things we used in our childhood, festivals, cultural traditions and practices unique to our area. Professional and amateur photographers who wish to showcase their craft are invited to share photographs in print of size 12" X 15" either in color or B&W. Due to space constraint each photographer can please share to a maximum of 5 prints. Selected photos will be displaye...

A 3 minute YouTube of our Heritage Walk in Old Vizag on 18th April 2017, World Heritage Day. Please watch the video and do take a moment to comment and share.  Please click on the KEEP READING  link below and then on the video to see the movie

World Heritage Day – a call to save our past Appeared in the Times of India on  17 April 2017 World Heritage Day - 18 April Tomorrow, 18th April is World Heritage Day. In 1982, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) based in France, announced 18 April as the "World Heritage Day", approved by the General Assembly of UNESCO in 1983, with the aim of enhancing awareness of the importance of the cultural heritage of humankind, and redouble efforts to protect and conserve our heritage.  In 2017, the theme is  “Cultural Heritage & Sustainable Tourism” , chosen in relation to the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development and in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. What is heritage? What is Heritage in the first place? An explanation from the INTACH book titled “INTACH Jago” goes like this: “Heritage refers to something inhe...

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...

Will the real Vizag stand up? Sohan Hatangadi TOI dated 10 July 2016 Those who have stayed for half a century or more in Vizag have witnessed the multiple personality changes the city has gone through. These changes have been due to a number of reasons, the most obvious being the arrival of waves of settlers at different times in the city’s history, the setting up of industry that impacted large numbers of people and the desire of Vizagites to live in “better” parts of town. Over time the city went through huge demographic changes worth studying in detail. As of now the city has no single personality label. It is a city with multiple personalities and that is an interesting phenomena. The comfortable decade, 1960 - 1970 When present senior citizens were kids, our little town was all sea, fisher folk, beaches, rolling wooded hills, miles and miles of palm trees and a large expanse of swampy land on the west. Most children went to schools or colleges by bus, bicycle or...

These are signage references for Vizag Old Town heritage walk signages

Saving Vizag's Trees Before you start reading the rest of this post please note down this number: 18004255364 This is the AP Forest Department's 24 hour Toll Free number They accept complaints regarding Tree Cutting, deforestation, wild animal trapping or mistreatment and any illegal forest and wildlife issues.  If you see a tree being cut, call this number and complain! They will get in touch with the local District Forest Officer and pursue the matter. If you have any suggestions - please leave a comment on my blog (preferred), or email me at sohan.hatangadi@gmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Banyan tree chopped down during the BRTS road project between NAD Kotha Rd. Jn. and Pendurthi W orst time in history for Vizag's trees Several newspaper reports have indicated that GVMC is inclined to cut down large trees that are unfortunate enough to be in the way of our ever widening roads. Between 2009 ...

It is with great sadness that I inform you that our beloved and historic Kurupam Market gateway towers have been demolished by GVMC last week.  The market was donated by Raja Vyricherla Veerabhadra Raju of Kurupam to the then Vizagapatam Municipality on September 1, 1914, to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII. As it was Going Gone I am told that a new building is planned there. Only two weeks ago INTACH had offered to provide expertise to restore the iconic clock tower arch way but it appears to have fallen on deaf ears. It is very unfortunate that this monument was brought down without public consultation. Our uncouth city administration has driven another dagger into our city's rich heritage. No doubt a  monstrosity  will come up at the spot. It will be typical of Vizag's public buildings, no dignity, no class. No doubt that our heritage will die a little more.  One wonders who these ruthless, insensitive and heartless people a...