Kakinada (formerly called Kakinandiwada, listen is the sixth largest city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and serves as the district headquarters of the Kakinada District. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. J.N.T.U. College of Engineering Kakinada, established in 1946, is the oldest and popular Government college in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The First Polytechnic college of Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Polytechnic was established here in 1946. It was also the origin point of Buckingham Canal where goods used to be transported by boats during the British rule. It was once home for Asia's largest sea port (now near the village Coringa). Many people from the city migrated from this sea port to countries like Burma, Mauritius, Fiji and various southeast Asian countries to work there as workers where they were called as Coringas.
Kakinada is also one of the fastest growing cities in Andhra Pradesh, and also a twin city of Pithapuram. Kakinada is known for its sweet called Kaja which became a famous recipe in South India known as Kakinada Kaja. Apart from this, it is also known for food. The city is popular for "Subbayya Gari Hotel" known across the country for its authentic Vegetarian meals. The city is also home to a snack called Bajji which is famous throughout the state. Along with these it is mostly known for its town planning, one of the most greatly well-planned towns in the entire country.
During the colonization of the Dutch Coromandel coast, the Dutch East India Company maintained a trading post known as Jaggernaikpoeram. On 25 September 1734 Haji Muhammad Hussain, then Nawab of Rajamundry, issued a parwana and a kaul to the Dutch by which the hamlet of " Jagernaykpalam" was given in full possession to the VOC for erecting a loge there.
The British established the site in 1759 as a shipbuilding and ship repair facility. The British knew the area as the Coromandel coast, and Coringa Town (now called Kakinada) on the Coringa River, a branch of the Godavari River. As the principal seaport on this coast, it soon became a large shipbuilding yard of some importance. In 1802 a dock was built for repair of Royal Navy and other vessels, it boasted the only wet dock between Bombay and Calcutta.
In the Madras Presidency, the District of Rajahmundry was created in 1823.It was reorganized in 1859 and was bifurcated into Godavari and Krishna districts. During British rule, Rajahmundry was the headquarters of Godavari district, which was further bifurcated into East Godavari and West Godavari districts in 1925.
The modern Kakinada Port started from 1805. Hope Island was formed in 1859 which affords protection to 100 sq.kms. water spread. Ships used to lie in the roads “Coringa Bay”. Vadapalli near Kakinada was a ship building yard: hence its name. Under the 1865 Act, Municipality was established in Kakinada. The surrounding area used to be called as Porlunadu/Protthapinadu because of the overflowing (“Porlu”) of Godavari branches now and then, before Cotton’s Barrage was constructed. In the Madras Presidency, the District of Rajahmundry was created in 1823. It was reorganized in 1859 and was bifurcated into Godavari and Krishna districts. During British rule, Rajahmundry was the headquarters of Godavari district, which was further bifurcated into East Godavari and West Godavari districts in 1925. When the Godavari district was divided, Kakinada became the headquarters of East Godavari and Eluru became headquarters of West Godavari. On 4 April 2022, East Godavari district further bifurcated into 3 and one of the New district was formed in the name of Kakinada.
Kakinada has a tropical savanna climate (Koppen climate classification: Aw/As) with hot, humid weather most of the year. The warmest time of the year is late May and early June, with maximum temperatures around. January is the coolest month, with minimum temperatures of 18–20 °C (64–68 °F). The city gets most of its seasonal rainfall from the southwest monsoon, although considerable rain also falls during the northeast monsoon (from mid-October to mid-December). Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal frequently strike the city. Kakinada’s prevailing winds are from the southwest for most of the year, except from October to January when they are from the northeast. The city's average annual rainfall is 110–115 centimetres (43–45 in).
Roads are the best option to reach Kakinada from almost anywhere in Andhra and India. The highways and connecting roads that lead to Kakinada are well maintained and smooth. So, you are going to have a comfortable drive to this city from your city of origin. Several private service providers run regular buses between Kakinada and other cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Vizag, and so on. All types of buses including AC, non-AC, Deluxe can be booked easily. Also, you can make use of state-managed buses from different Andhra cities and reach Kakinada. Check online and book your ticket from any bus-ticket official websites.
Trains offer the most convenient mode of travel. To this city, Kakinada Port and Kakinada Town Junction are the nearest railway stations. They have good connectivity with all major cities in Andhra Pradesh including Vizag, Vijayawada, and so on. It's also not far away from Vijayawada and Rajahmundry. So, if you're unable to find direct trains to Kakinada port of Kakinada Town from your source city, try taking a train till Vijayawada or Rajahmundry. Kakinada is just about 60 km from the latter and from Vijayawada, it is about 200 km. You can then hire a cab or a bus and reach Kakinada. Visit www.irctc.co.in for more information and book your tickets.
