Bhimavaram

Bhimavaram భీమవరం Bheemavaramu
Royal City
Somarama Temple near Bhimavaram
Nickname(s): Coastal City
Bhimavaram Location in Andhra Pradesh, India
Coordinates: 16°32′00″N 81°32′00″E / 16.5333°N 81.5333°E / 16.5333; 81.5333Coordinates: 16°32′00″N 81°32′00″E / 16.5333°N 81.5333°E / 16.5333; 81.5333
Country	India
State	Andhra Pradesh
Region	Andhra
Metro	Bhimavaram
Elevation	7 m (23 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	200,000
Languages
• Official	Telugu
Time zone	IST (UTC+5:30)
PIN	534201
Area code(s)	8816
Vehicle registration	AP 37

Bhimavaram is a city mandal under Bhimavaram urban agglomeration in the West Godavari District in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Bhimavaram is also called the "Second Bardoli of India".^[1] Mahatma Gandhi coined the name when he visited the city during the freedom movement in India. It is one of the Pancharama Kshetras (Somaramam) in AP state, as it has Someswara Swami temple. It is the aqua capital of the coastal area. Bhimavaram city is a shopping hub in the district for products like jewellery, cloth, seafood, electronics.

According to 2011 statistics, it comes under Bhimavaram Metropolitan comprising Bhimavaram city, Rayalam and Chinamiram villages.^[2]

Bhimavaram has many nicknames, being called by Mahatma Gandhi as the "second Bardoli" when he visited the city during the freedom movement in India, the second Mumbai for its economic strength, and the Las Vegas of India due to gambling being popular, especially gambling on cricket, cock-fighting during the festive season of Sankranthi.^[3]

History

Along with much of present-day coastal Andhra Pradesh, Bhimavaram was controlled by the Chola Empire. Under Kulothunga Chola I, Bhimavaram was ruled by his sons who served as viceroys. Various stone inscriptions have been found in the city dating from his reign (c. 1096 C.E.).^[4]

Historical places

Somaramam

Bhimavaram is famous for the Gunupudi Someswara (Somarama) temple, which is one of the holy Pancharamas. Built during the 3rd century A.D., the Shiva lingam change its color according to the lunar month (Black at the time of amavasya, White at the time Pournami). Annapurna mata temple is present in the second floor.

Demographics

According to 2011 census, the Bhimavaram metropolitan area has a population of 147,056.,^[2] while the city itself has a population of 142,280 with 32,685 households.^[5] 70,066 are male and 72,214 are female. Average literacy rate of Bhimavaram city is 83.41 percent of which male and female literacy was 86.87 and 80.07 percent.^[6]

Governance

The Bhimavaram Municipality was established in the year 1948.^[7] There were many changes after that. One of them is re-division of wards into 39 wards by GO (Government Order) issued by Andhra Pradhesh government.^[8]

Few major changes from 1948 onwards:^[9][10]

• 1948 April - Constituted as Grade III Municipality
• 1949 August - First elected council
• 1963 August - Upgraded as Grade II Municipality
• 1967 October - Upgraded as Grade I Municipality
• 1980 April - Upgraded as Special Grade Municipality
• 2011 September - Upgraded as Selection Grade Municipality (current) ^[9]

Assembly constituency

Bhimavaram is an assembly constituency in Andhra Pradesh. There were 194488^[11] registered voters in the Bhimavaram constituency in the 2009 elections. The Bhimavaram legislative assembly constituency has been the centre of politics in the West Godavari District since its formation in 1952.^[11]

Economy

The Bhimavaram city is located in the middle of the Godavari Delta region and Agro/Aqua based economy. It is one of the important trade center of Paddy and Aqual culture in Andhra Pradesh. The Agro & Aqua base industries like food processing, Prawn Culture, Rice Mills etc., are the main industries. The city serves as distribution center as well as commercial center, to its hinterland. The city becomes the regional center for higher education and specialized health services.^[4]

Shopping Malls

• Coastal City Center Mall (Undi Road)(2010)
• Bhimavaram Central (PP road)(2010)

Coming soon

Entertainment

Theaters & Multiplexes

• Geetha Multiplex (4 Screens)(Coastal City Center Mall)
• Vijayalakshmi Cine complex(2 Screens)
• Sri Padmalaya Complex(2 Screens)
• Annapoorna (70MM)
• Venkatrama (70 MM)
• Natraj (70 MM)
• kishore(70 MM)

Panchayats

The following are village and panchayats in the Bhimavaram mandal.^[12]

• Anakoderu (village and panchayat)

Transportation

Bhimavaram is an important commercial centre in the West Godavari District. Buses to this City are operated by Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation(APSRTC) and private operators. Most frequent long distant bus services are usually ran in-between Bhimavaram and Hyderabad, Chennai, Vizag, Bangalore, Eluru & Vijayawada. Bhimavaram is well connected to major cities like Puri, Bangalore, Mumbai, Howrah, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Nagarsol, Aurangabad[disambiguation needed], Shirdi, Tirupathi, Bilaspur & Bhubaneswar by direct trains.

The city is well connected to different places around it with a convenient bus service through two bus stands (Old Bus Stand in Two Town area and New APSRTC Bus Stand in One Town area) and train routes to five railway stations(Town Railway Station in Two Town area, Junction Railway Station in One Town area, undi, pennada and vendra). Buses, autos, taxis and rickshaws are the means of transport to travel within the city. Nearest International airports to Bhimavaram are Hyderabad and Chennai. The nearest domestic airports to Bhimavaram are Rajahmundry and Gannavaram.

Road

National highway 165 (Digamarru-Pamarru) (old name is NH 214, recently the name is changed) passes through this city. NH 5 is located around 40-50 kilometers from this city in many ways.

• Bhimavaram to AH 45/National Highway 5 takes approximately 38 kilometers while via Chebrol takes 40 kilometeres and there are other ways also, for example via Siddhantam. Depending on the destinations people choose different ways.

• Construction of bridge in Losari village of Bhimavaram mandal made easy accessibility to the city by people in Coastal villages who are far away from the big cities of their district (like Gollapalem, Lakshmipuram, Matlam villages in Kruthivennu mandal of Krishna district.)

Rail

• Bhimavaram has got five railway stations. (three subarban stations: undi, pennada, vendra)and 2 major stations One is Bhimavaram Junction (railway station code: BVRM)^[13] located in Bhimavaram-1 town, and the other one is more prominent Bhimavaram city (railway station code: BVRT) located in Bhimavaram-2 town. Bhimavaram Town railway station (BVRT) is situated on alternate railway line (NDV-BVRT-BZA) for NDV-EE-BZA line. The line is currently single track diesel line. But recently government announced electrification and doubling for this line which once done substantially increase the scope for more trains in this line. Bhimavaram Junction railway station (BVRM) is the junction point for NS/BZA/NDD, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh.

Notable people

Entrepreneurs

• K V K Raju
• Byrraju Ramalinga Raju
• Thota Raghu

Cinema

• Ram Gopal Varma
• D. V. S. Raju

Science

• Yellapragada Subbarao

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bhimavaram.

• Bhimavaram Municipality website

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