Did you know that these were the first ones for Vizag?

In the modern-day, Vizag is about beaches, hill stations, cafes, restaurants and other glossy buildings. But for the old-timers, Waltair is about its rich history, heritage, and culture. Often we hear stories from our grandparents or elders about their lives and of this beautiful city. We come across names we have never heard of. Wonder what they are? Don’t worry because we have got you covered. Do you know which is the first movie theatre in Vizag? Do you know that Vizag is home to the oldest theatre in entire South India? If this amazed you, this article is about more such facts that will make you go wow.

Here are the first ones in Vizag.

First theatre- Poorna Theatre

It is currently the longest-running movie theatre in all of South India. In fact, Grandhi Venkata Ramaiah of Vizag, the affable current owner of Poorna Theatre, has received a commendation letter, and memento to this effect from former CM of Tamil Nadu, late Jayalalitha during the Indian Cinema Centenary celebrations that were held in Chennai. Initially named Sri Krishna Touring talkies in 1925, it was renamed Poorna Theatre by late GK Mangaraju right after electrification services were available in Vizag. The theatre initially screened silent movies and was refurbished in 1949. . Soon after, the cinema-scope facility was installed in 1955, making Poorna Theatre the first such establishment in the entire Andhra region.

First flight to Vizag- de Havilland Fox Moth aircraft

The Madras Air Taxi Service commenced the first commercial air service to Vizag with the inaugural flight between Madras and Calcutta via Vizag in a de Havilland Fox Moth aircraft on 10 February 1934. The flight left Madras at 6 am and arrived in Vizag at 11 am. Passengers on board were the founders of the company, Raja I.V. Kumar Rao and Raja Bhujunga Rao. The pilot was H. Tyndale-Biscoe, a chief instructor of the Madras Flying Club.

First recreational club- Waltair Club

The oldest club in Vizag, once the bastion of the British officers of the East Coast Railway and the East Coast Battalion stationed in the town back in 1883. Later, a few affluent Indians with powerful connections were eventually allowed to become members. The original club started off on a modest scale and was run from 1908 to 1920 by The Spencer and Company. The club back then had horse stables and sheds which presently house the best and snazziest cars in town, making it one of the posh clubs in Vizag

First church- Mission Chapel Building

In 1835, a missionary by the name of Reverend James William Gordon from the London Missionary Society arrived in Visakhapatnam. On his arrival, he noticed that there was no chapel in the town and that the English and Telugu congregations were conducting their worship services in school rooms. Reverend Gordon decided to construct a chapel and called for a meeting of the Congregation members and others. In the meeting, it was decided that a suitable place would be found to raise a sufficiently large church building. They ultimately chose a place near Old Town Gate where the Mission was running a small school for native children. They purchased the site and with the help of a military engineer, they drew plans for construction. Foundations were dug in November 1835. A committee was formed to supervise the construction of the building. On 25 September 1836, the chapel was dedicated.