Visakha Museum reopens doors in Vizag after eight months

One of the city’s popular tourist destinations, the Visakha Museum opened its doors to visitors, after eight months in Vizag. Earlier in 2020, the museums were closed for the public due to the COVID-induced lockdown.

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Commissioner, G Srijana, reopened the museum, on Sunday and interacted with the visitors. Addressing the public, she appealed to them to wear masks and ensure physical distancing in view of the coronavirus. Later in the day, the GVMC Commissioner distributed chocolates to children who were present at the event. Inspecting the gallery, she directed the Curator to come up with new proposals to develop Visakha Museum.

Taking to Twitter, the civic body shared, “GVMC Commissioner Dr.G.Srijana reopened the Visakha Museum which was closed due to #COVID19. She advised the visitors to follow the #COVID19 precautionary measures and also instructed the museum curator to come up with new proposals for further development.”

Situated on the RK Beach road, Visakha Museum is a confluence of heritage and maritime history in Vizag. The Art Gallery displays Vizag’s colourful regal heritage – the oil portraits of Vijayanagaram royalty, Rajahs of Jaipur (Orissa), Dasapalla, and the Kirlampudi family. Momentous occasions in Vizag’s past are showcased in the museum, like even the coconut that was broken by the then Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru when he came for the inauguration of the first ship that was indigenously built – the S.S Jala Usha. Also on display is the unexploded 250-lb bomb that was dropped by the Japanese during World War II, and the remnants of ‘Ghazi’ the Pakistan Submarine decimated during the 1971 war. It also boasts paintings from Abburi Kalakendra.