Visitors flock tourist spots in Vizag on Karthika Masam’s final Sunday

Traditional and religious reasoning apart, Karthika Masam is a preferred season for planning picnics and outings for many. With a cool wintry breeze, flowers in full bloom, and lush green trees, the season and weather couldn’t be better for an outing. While the spirits this year might be a bit dampened due to the pandemic, the tourist spots in Vizag, of late, have begun to paint an image that most of us are largely used to. On Sunday, tourist spots in Vizag were flooded by visitors as the auspicious Karthika Masam neared its end this year.

It was a busy day at Rushikonda beach as people, hailing from different parts of the northern Andhra region, turned up in large numbers at the coast. People across age groups were seen having a merry time by the bay. The Coastal Security Police and lifeguards had their task cut out in cautioning the visitors against entering the sea. The RK Beach too saw quite a few people in Vizag spend the final Sunday of Karthika Masam by the shore.

Bheemunipatnam Beach, Devipuram, Kambalakonda, Yaradakonda, Simhachalam, Kondakarla Ava, and Mudasorlova are some of the other tourist spots apart from Rushikonda and Kailasagiri that are easily accessible from the city. With its pristine quiet surroundings, the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park is a popular destination as well. As per sources, the zoo reported an income of over Rs 7 lakh on Sunday alone with more than 13,000 tourists visiting the place. Kambalakonda, located nearby, too witnessed a significant footfall to report a single-day income of Rs 39,000.

However, given the pandemic situation, concerns were expressed over the guidelines being flouted at a few tourist spots. The norms seemed to be going for a toss with not all wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing.