From Vizag: Dive into the Journey of Rohit Vijjapu from Vizag and his artistic tribute to the city!

​Rohit Vijjapu, an artist, poet, illustrator and product designer, has poured his heart into his coffee table book ‘From Vizag’, a heartfelt tribute to the city that shaped his life and memories. The book captures the spirit of Vizag through layers of nostalgia, tenderness, and experiences. In a conversation with Yo! Vizag, Rohit opened up about his journey, the creative process, the heritage and cultural significance of Vizag, and the stories and emotions that reflect in the book.

About Rohit

​Rohit is a product designer and manager. He is also an artist and illustrator who specialises in painting, carpentry, printmaking, and pottery. He lives in Bangalore, balancing both worlds. He shares that his experience in design played a vital role in shaping the feel and structure of the book, from selecting fonts and layout to ensure that the book didn’t follow the cliche glossy, hardbound coffee table book. He wanted his book to have a comforting, intimate and homemade feel, just like the warmth the city carries.

The Idea

The idea for the book took place when one day, while travelling along the beach road, Rohit noticed an auto rickshaw carrying fish that were hanging on both sides of the rickshaw. The moment turned into a sketch, and the sketch turned into a heartfelt series after Rohit reached out to Jayshree and Sohan with the idea of documenting Vizag through art and poetry in a book. They instantly agreed and supported him, helping him with more information on the city’s history and heritage.  During COVID, Rohit lived in Vizag as an adult, and this was a different kind of experience for him. It gave him a deeper insight into the city’s rhythm.

“I never knew that you could see meteors from Vizag. So, we went to Araku Valley, and we spent the night spotting meteors. These experiences, the flora, fauna, history, food, and everything, were a tribute to the city.”, he expressed.

The book came to life after a four-year-long process of iterations, sampling, and printing.

Why The Name?

For Rohit Vijjapu, the title From Vizag holds a special place, as he recalls being called “Rohit from Vizag” back in his college days, as his class alone had four people with the same name. He says, people from the city express pride when asked where they come from. The sentiment became the perfect title.
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“Vizag embodies a friend, a laid-back friend who shapes your character quietly and deeply”, Rohit said. Citing cities like Mumbai, where the energy is high, and people always feel like going out and doing something, Vizag invites people to its still and serene beauty and allows them to sit by the ocean and be idle.

The Most Flipped Pages?

When asked about which part of the book he holds closest to his heart, he says that it is the history and heritage. He mentions that he was unaware of the thriving Buddhist culture in the city, along with many other things that he discovered while researching for his book. Learning about the way of life of people from centuries ago, their lifestyle, food habits, and what they felt while looking at the same ocean that we see today, and Vizag’s evolution over the last 2,000 to 3,000 years.
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Rohit hopes that when someone closes his book for the very first time, they go down the memory lane and reconnect with their own memories from the city. He said that many readers found intriguing new details in the illustration during re-reads.

Food and Comfort

With Vizag’s bustling food scene, food naturally holds a special place in any story about Vizag. When asked about his favourite eatery in Vizag, he said that during his engineering days, he enjoyed eating the punugullu, mirchi bhajji and other varieties of snacks on a street food stall near Gurudwara. These food items were often paired with the jalebis from another stall adjacent to the punugullu stall. The one food from Vizag that instantly makes him feel at home is the muri mixture, something that has seasonal additions like raw mango and mamidi allam, with every vendor having a different version and different taste.  ​

If someone visits Vizag for a single day, and he had to introduce them to the city, he would begin by taking them to Vasenapoli for breakfast, coffee at Araku coffee, followed by lunch at Shivapriya or Kalyani Mess for an authentic Telugu experience. He would take them to the Flying Spaghetti Monster for a fancier meal. He added that Vizag offers a lot more than just Telugu food, including a diverse range of cuisine to choose from, including Asian and Italian options as well.

In the Meantime

​Looking ahead, Rohit Vijjapu hopes that even after the skyline, roads, beaches and the vibe of the city evolve, he hopes that the calm and laid-back atmosphere of the city and its people doesn’t change. He adds that when his friends who have never been to Vizag flipped through the pages of his book, they asked him whether the people here were laidback; their first impression was that the city seemed peaceful.

He believes that with growth and development, changes are inevitable. He believes that there should be a balance, and that it’s essential that the city preserve its natural heritage and historic treasures like the Simhachalam hills and Kambalakonda.
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From Vizag is Rohit Vijjapu’s heartfelt tribute to the city. The book was released on November 16 and is going international. The book is available for sale on his website www.rohitvijjapu.com.

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