Special walk to mark World Heritage Day in Visakhapatnam

Heritage enthusiasts will be gathering at the Ross Hill on Thursday to mark the World Heritage Day in Visakhapatnam. The gathering will be sharing stories of the holy hillock that is an abode to three different faiths.

“Each year, World Heritage Day is observed across the world on 18 April. Observance of the day aims to spread awareness and importance of protecting and preserving various sites that have achieved a heritage status around our city and world. This year, the theme of the day is ‘Heritage for Generations’ with emphasis on inter-generational transfer of knowledge. Visakhapatnam is blessed with a range of heritage-related topics & stories that are best shared together,” shared Heritage Narrator Jayshree Hatangadi.

The specialty of the hillocks

As a unique testament to communal harmony, and the peace-loving nature of Vizagites, there are three picturesque hillocks each with its own distinctive religious significance along the channel that leads to the inner harbor. There is The Venkateswara Temple on the ‘Sringamani Hillock’, The Ross Hill Church on the ‘Ross Hill’, and The Baba Ishq Madina Dargah on the ‘Dargah Konda’. Each of these shrines has added to the glory and history of Vizag. They are the finest examples of communal harmony and are witness to the growth of small-town into what Vizag is today. While the Dargah is about 700 years old, the temple is more than two centuries old. The Ross Hill Church too is more than a century old, emphasising the quintessence of spiritualism, that ‘all religions are but the branches of the same tree’.