Vijayawada History, India

Vijayawada is a beautiful city of the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located on the banks of the River Krishna and is also called Bezawada. The literal meaning of the name of the city is ‘City of Victory’ and was named so because of victory the founders of the city experienced. 

Legend says that it was on the Indrakiladri Hills of Vijayawada that Arjuna, one of the five Hindu mythological brothers, the Pandavas had won the blessings of Lord Shiva through hard penance.

It was this victory that made Arjun establish the city of Vijayawada around the Malleswara temple and Indrakiladri Hills in commemoration of winning Lord Shiva’s blessings. The city was thus named Vijayawada.

 The victory of Goddess Durga 

There is another legend in Vijayawada that leads to victory. This legend states that Goddess Durga had once killed a rakshasa, after which she had taken rest in Vijayawada. Since she was victorious while resting in the place, she had named the city Vijayawada. There is more to the history of Vijayawada which has been learnt through the few inscriptions found in the city. There are many remnants of the Stone Age and of ancient men found along the banks of River Krishna providing information of history of Vijayawada. 

These remnants show the power of the ruling of different rulers like the Chalukyas of Kalyan and the majestic king, Krishnadeva Raya and the effects they had on the society and traditions of the city. There is also proof of visits of foreign travelers to the city like Hu-yan-Tsang.

 British played an important part in Vijayawada history 

Besides the historical temple of Lord Shiva, there are other important temples in Vijayawada giving proof of the religious history Vijayawada boasts of. These temples include the Kanaka-Durga Devi temple of the city. Vijayawada was also greatly influenced by the British rule as the British had brought about many changes in the city. It was the British who had brought about great changes in the infrastructure and the basic facilities of the city to improve the living conditions of the people of Vijayawada.

In fact, it was the British who had completed the building of the Prakasam Barrage and constructed the railway bridge over the River Krishna. With all this, Vijayawada is today one of the most important commercial cities of India. This is due to its rich history, the development of the city with the British rule and its connectivity to the other parts and city of India.