From jogging and leaving behind footprints to sitting idly on the sand and getting lost in thoughts, the beaches in Vizag are the best partners for every mood. Visakhapatnam and beautiful beaches are almost synonymous at this point and when we think about golden sands and blue waves, the first name that pops up is RK Beach! This is one of the favourite spots for many tourists and locals. Though many of us must have visited this place quite often, here are certain things about this place that we might have overlooked!
Have you ever wondered why RK Beach is named RK Beach? The story is related to Swami Vivekananda’s teacher Rama Krishna Paramahamsa, a religious leader who inspired many to pursue the spiritual path.
The Ramakrishna Mission Ashram was built near this area in the year 1938. In 1941, Sri Kancharla Ramabraham built the main building of the Ashram, and later on, his sons added another block to the same. When the town of Visakhapatnam was under evacuation during World War II, the Ashram continued to function from Tanuku in Godavari district and finally, in 1946, it resumed its work in the original building at Visakhapatnam.
But do you know what the place was called before the Ashram was constructed? Let us know in the comments!
Our city has a long list of age-old monuments etched in history, especially near the Old Town area. As RK Beach in Visakhapatnam has many architectural gems, some of them often go unnoticed. One such monument that stands still yet goes unnoticed is Scandal Point. This location is said to be a point where memsahibs and newly arrived damsels from Madras or Calcutta used to indulge in scandalous topics like who was marrying who and who danced with who.
According to John Castellas, a renowned historian from Visakhapatnam, the beach road stretch was first built in 1847 when Sir Arthur Cotton, whose introduction is unnecessary, conceived the idea of groynes to protect the beach from erosion. The road was laid as he needed bullock carts to carry the rock blasted from Ross Hill for this project. The previously mentioned Scandal Point marked the end of the road along the seafront.
Seven decades ago, a stroll on the beach was as interesting as it is now. The area from RK Beach to St Aloysius School was a stretch that people used to prefer for their evening walks. The place was filled with a flurry of activities as the lighthouse near St Aloysius School (old town) was active during that time. A part of the beach near Town hall was a regular venue for political meetings and speeches of national leaders like Gandhiji, C Rajagopalachari, Subash Chandra Bose, and Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya addressed the huge gatherings here.
(Note: The above paragraph is an extract from Vi(za)gnettes book by Kolluru Jagannadha Rao)
Are there any other interesting facts that we might have missed about RK Beach in Visakhapatnam? Comment below and let us know!
Also read – 7 Super-Cool Things Happening at Araku Festival 2025 That Give Us Reason to Leave Vizag This Weekend
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