36. KAILASAGIRI, VISHAKHAPATNAM (ANDHRA PRADESH), INDIA

A beautiful building on Kailasagiri hill top

Today was my last day at Vishakhapatnam and my host suggested that Kailasagiri is one place I must not miss while in Vizag. It was already evening and he suggested that I could still make it as the place is open till 7pm. I had the option to reach there either by rope-way or drive down.  I preferred the road route as darkness was already descending on the city.

Reaching the base of the hillock, one has to pay an entry fee for the car. The climb onwards is steep and Shankar, my driver switched off the car AC as the engine probably could not take the load. The road was clean and soon we were on top of the hillock.

The view of the sea coast from Titanic Point

Coming out of the car, we saw a lot of people moving in a particular direction. My new-found friend and I also followed them and reached what is called the Titanic Point. It is a point built in the shape of a ship presumably like the famous Titanic, overlooking Vizag city and providing a lovely view of the sea below. I guess it must be breathtaking during day time. 

As it was already quite dark, the only thing, I could see, was innumerable blinking lights on the sea coast. My friend Amrutha told me that this was the view of Rishikonda Beach which has very slippery sand and is, therefore, very dangerous leading to accidents.

The beautiful entry to Kailasagiri  the abode of  Shiva & Parvati

Turning back, we moved towards the entrance to Kailasagiri. Though made of fibreglass, the entry gate was quite unique with baby monkeys hanging around. Incidentally, this place has been developed by VUDA (Vishakhapatnam Urban Development Authority) into a tourist spot and is quite a popular picnic spot for the locals as well as the tourist.

Lord Shiva & his consort Parvati who like living on the hill top

As this is the highest point in Vizag, it has been rightly named Kailasagiri, the abode of Lord Shiva who likes to reside on hill-top. The mountain top has beautiful white statues of Shiva and his consort Parvati. Well designed and neat and clean, the place provided an excellent opportunity for taking photos and everybody was clicking away their cameras. The statues were surrounded by beautiful flower beds all around and presented a majestic view.

It was already dark and I was not able to appreciate its true scenic beauty but I noticed that the place was quiet and serene despite the presence of many tourists. There is also the facility of horse riding for children. The toy train, which goes around the hillock, had come and was ready for its last round. We decided to buy tickets and take a round or shall I say parikrama of Kailasagiri. This way I will be able to admire the view of the city, my friend suggested.

May a billion lights brighten your future, young Andhraites!

In that circular ride, in the millions of blinking lights, I saw the future of Vishakhapatnam. Yes, I mean it. Vizag is a very progressive city, where every second person of the Gen Next is turning into a techie. It was amazing to see so many young people struggling hard to break their shackles and turning into Computer Engineers despite their miserably weak economic backgrounds. 

The future of Andhra Pradesh appears bright, just like those blinking lights I saw from the Kailasagiri mountain top. Good luck, Andhra!!!

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