Bheemunipatnam

Bheemunipatnam (also known as Bheemili[3]), is a suburb in the city of Visakhapatnam, India. The town was named after Bhima a character in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Bheemunipatnam municipality. It is under the administration of Visakhapatnam revenue division and the headquarters is located at Bheemunipatnam.

Bheemunipatnam

Bheemili
Hill-top view of Bheemunipatnam town
Bheemunipatnam
Location in Andhra Pradesh, India
Coordinates: 17.886385°N 83.447109°E / 17.886385; 83.447109
CountryIndia
StateAndhra Pradesh
DistrictVisakhapatnam
Named forBhima
Government
 • TypeMunicipal corporation
 • BodyGreater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation
Area
 • Total18.88 km2 (7.29 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total52,110
 • Density2,800/km2 (7,100/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialTelugu
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN
531163/62
Vehicle RegistrationAP31 (Former)
AP39 (from 30 January 2019)[2]
Vidhan SabhaBheemili
Lok Sabha constituencyVisakhapatnam

Geography

Bheemunipatnam is located about 40 km from Visakhapatnam Airport, about 31 km from Visakhapatnam railway station and 29 km from Visakhapatnam city central bus station. It lies to the north of Visakhapatnam City and is loosely bordered by Rushikonda to the south and Bay of Bengal to the east, Madhurawada to the west, Bhogapuram to the north.

History

Buddhism
Buddha Statue at Bheemunipatnam Beach Road

Historical evidences of Buddhist Culture have been noticed at Bheemunipatnam dating back to 3rd century BCE on the hillock Pavurallakonda[4] (also known as Narsimhaswami Konda locally) in the town. Buddhist remains were found during the excavations here along with Relic caskets. Both the schools of Buddhism Hinayana and Mahayana were propagated in this land and also to the far east lands from the port of River Gosthani. See pavurallakonda page for more details.

Narasimha temple

There is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Narasimha on the eastern side of Pavurallakonda facing the sea. As per the historical evidences the temple is constructed around 14th century by Mindi[5] Kings. There are two more temples in the town of Bhimili, which date back to the times of Chola's as Bheemeswaralayam and Choleswaralayam.

Dutch settlements
A Dutch map of Bheemunipatnam by Coenraad Pieter Keller with the projected new fort from 1756.

Known to the Dutch as Bimilipatnam, Bheemunipatnam was one among the major Dutch settlements[6] of the Dutch Coromandel coast in the 17th century. There are remnants of the Dutch East India Company trading post when the town was a port. The town contains one of the oldest Christian cemeteries on the coast.[7] Bhimili also had a currency mint[8] during the times of Dutch. Portuguese also visited bhimili in the same time as the dutch. St.Peter's church is a historical monument which signifies the ancient architecture.[9]

After Bheemunipatnam was plundered by Maratha troops in 1754, the local regent permitted the Dutch East India Company to construct a fort in the village, for which military engineer Coenraad Pieter Keller drew up plans. The fort that was constructed subsequently collapsed twice, for which Keller had to defend himself in front of his superiors in Batavia.[10]

East India Company

The British East India Company made Bheemunipatnam their main trading base of the east coast. The Bhimili port used to operate passenger vessels to Madras and Calcutta during the British Raj. The big clock tower in the town was built by the British.

Demographics

According to Imperial Gazetteer of India,[11] It was entirely Zamindari land belonging to the Vizianagram estate. As of 2001 India census,[12] it had a population of 44,156. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Bheemunipatnam has an average literacy rate of 60%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 67% and female literacy of 54%. 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Landmarks
Panoramic view of River Gosthani confluence into Bay of Bengal at Bhimili

The lighthouse dated to 1868 was built during Dutch settlement on the shores of Bheemili Beach.[13] Some of the Buddhist sites are Bojjannakonda, Bavikonda, Lingalakonda, Pavurallakonda, Salihundam and Thotlakonda.

Politics
Year Candidate Party
1951 Kaligotla Suryanarayana
1955 Gottumukkala Jagannadha Raju
1972 Raja Sagi Soma Sundara Suryanarayana Raju INC
1978 Datla Jagannadha Raju INC(I)
1983 Pusapati Ananda Gajapati Raju TDP
1985 Raja Sagi Devi Prasanna Appala Narasimha Raju TDP
1989 Raja Sagi Devi Prasanna Appala Narasimha Raju TDP
1994 Raja Sagi Devi Prasanna Appala Narasimha Raju TDP
1999 Raja Sagi Devi Prasanna Appala Narasimha Raju TDP
2004 Karri Seetharamu INC
2009 Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao PRP
2014 Ganta Srinivasa Rao TDP
2019 Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao YSRCP


Notable people
Name Party Position Years Active
Nalli Paidiraju Telugu Desam Party Ex-Municipal Councillor, Janmabhoomi Committee Member 1998-now
Patri veera swamy Telugu Desam Party EX Municipal chairman, BHeemili Municipal Corporation 1980s
Mokara Narayana Rao Telugu Desam Party Ex-Chairman, Vuda Member, Bhimili Agricultural Chairman 1983-2012

Transport

Bheemili is well connected by road. NH16 or AH45 passes through the Mandal. It also has major District roads and State Highways connecting it to nearby Mandals and Visakhapatnam. APSRTC runs bus services from Visakhapatnam bus station to Bheemili.

APSRTC

Routes:

Route Starts Ends Time Via
999 Bhimili R.T.C Complex Every 15 mins NTR circle bus stop,Dorathota,

Bhimili x road,Boyapalem,Madhurawada,Yandad,Zoo park,Hanumanthawaka,Venkojipalem,Maddilapalem,Central Bus Station(CBST)

900k Bhimili Beach Visakhapatnam Railway Station Every 15 mins Bml Beach,INS Kalinga,Uppada,Mangamaripeta,Thotlakonda Beach,Ramanaidu Studios,Rushikonda Beach,Geetham University,Sagaranagar Beach,Kailasagiri Roapway,MVP,Waltair,Siripuram,Andhra University,VMRDA CITY CENTRAL PARK,RTC COMPLEX,Allipuram
900T Bhimili Tagarapuvalasa 7.15,8.00,8.45,9.30 and 3.00,3.45,4.30,5.15,6.00 NTR circle Bus Stop,sun school,ketenpeta,rayapalem,chillapeta,chittivalsa, Andhra Bank tgp
55k Bhimili Gajuwaka 7.00am,7.00pm NTR circle bus stop, Tagarapuvalasa,sangivalasa,Anandhapuram,Nillakundilu,Pendurti,vepagunta,NAD, Airport,Old Gajuwaka,New Gajuwaka

Notes
  1. "Statistical Abstract of Andhra Pradesh, 2015" (PDF). Directorate of Economics & Statistics. Government of Andhra Pradesh. p. 40. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  2. "New 'AP 39' code to register vehicles in Andhra Pradesh launched". The New Indian Express. Vijayawada. 31 January 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  3. "103 objections received against ward delimitation". The New Indian Express. Visakhapatnam. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  4. "Dept. of Archaeology & Museums". Museums.ap.nic.in. Archived from the original on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  5. Sudhakar (25 June 2008). "Incredible India: Bhimili". Vishakapatnamonline.blogspot.in. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  6. "It is a ruin of colonial legacy | BayNews | The New Voice of Vizag". Baynews.in. 24 September 2010. Archived from the original on 29 December 2013. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  7. "Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Bhimili: lost in time and tide". The Hindu. 12 April 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  8. Ramani M. "The History of Vizag: copper coins". Heavydutytravel.blogspot.in. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  9. Ganguly, Nivedita (3 October 2018). "Bheemunipatnam: This Dutch township is full of history". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  10. Bos 2019.
  11. Bimlipatnam tahsil in Imperial Gazetteer of India, Vol. 8; pp: 238.
  12. "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 16 June 2004. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
  13. "Bhimili lighthouse to be demolished". The Hindu. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2016.

References
  • Bos, J. (2019). "A Disastrous Project: C. P. Keller and the Fortification (Plans) of Bimilipatnam". In Storms, M.; Cams, M.; Demhardt, I.; Ormeling, F. (eds.). Mapping Asia: Cartographic Encounters Between East and West. Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography. Springer. pp. 219–228. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-90406-1_15.
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