Do you know how old these parks in Visakhapatnam are?

The parks in Visakhapatnam offer much more than just leisure. They are symbols of how the city developed over the years and its rich history. While the city of destiny is home to some decade-old parks that you think you know, some have unique stories that you might not be aware of!  On that note, here are interesting things about a few parks in Visakhapatnam.

1. Mudarsarlova Park (123 years old)

Constructed in 1902, Mudarsarlova Park is the oldest park in Visakhapatnam. It is spread across 20 acres and is also considered one of the oldest parks in Coastal Andhra. The land for this park is said to be donated by Sri Pusapati Ananda Gajapati Raju. The water reservoir in the park supplies 1 million gallons of water per day and provides drinking water to the city.

2. Shivaji Park (26 years old)

Shivaji Park in Visakhapatnam is also a decades-old park in the region. It is also one of those few parks that has a big Amphi theatre. Shivaji Park used to be a dumping yard before during the 1990s. It was in 1999 that an initial investment of Rs 8 lakh was sanctioned to develop it as a park. The skating arena in the park is said to have hosted many district, state and national-level skating competitions over the years.

3. Dr YS Rajashekhar Reddy Central Park (9 years old)

The VMRDA City Central Park located in the heart of the city was inaugurated in 2016. It was the first park in Visakhapatnam which came up with a musical fountain. The old Central Prison constructed in the year 1908 in the heart of the city, next to the current Bus Station, was converted into Central Park, and the Prison was shifted to its current location in the year 2001.

4. Tenneti Park (34 years old)

Tenneti  Park also known as Vuda Tenneti is named after a freedom fighter and social reformer Tenneti Viswanadham. This park was constructed in 1991 and has an astonishing view of the beach. Due to Cyclone Nivar in 2020, a Bangladeshi merchant vessel MV Maa reached the shore near the park and became a major attraction here.

5. Indira Gandhi Zoological Park (48 years old)

Named after the former Prime Minister of India, this park is surrounded by the Eastern Ghats on three sides and the Bay of Bengal on the fourth side. The park was open to the public in the year 1977 and is a home to many animal species like Indian elephants, greater one-horned rhinos, Bengal tigers, Asiatic lions, Indian leopards, striped hyenas and more.

The Kambala Konda park located near the zoo has been under the control of the Andhra Pradesh Forest Department since 1970. Earlier, the land is said to be under the control of Maharaja of Vizianagaram.

Have you been to these parks yet? If not, now’s your chance to spend time amid the tranquillity and greenery of these parks! Did we miss anything on this list? Comment below and let us know!

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