Talk about the prospects of an ‘overnight’ development of this region post-division is gaining momentum. Development will happen at a breakneck speed, changing the face of the city within a short span, it is believed.
But, faced with the challenge of balancing modernisation with tradition and history, will the burgeoning city pass the test?
Vijayawada is a shining example for a growing modern city with strong traditional roots, feel people closely associated with the place.
“We have seen a lot of development in the last 10 years, and further change is bound to happen now. But, people here will always be rooted to their traditions. We don’t have a metro culture here, but that does not mean that we are backward. In fact, we are in a very advantageous position wherein we have the best of the two worlds - traditional and contemporary,” says K. Pattabhi Ram, president of Vijayawada Hotel Owners’ Association.
The city is in a transition period, he points out, adding: “Most residents of Vijayawada have migrated from rural background. Perhaps our closeness with our rural brethren helps us keep our traditions intact,” he says.
“The areas located on the fringes of the city have a rural backdrop. Unlike big cities which are completely cut off from rural charm, we have pastoral bliss at a distance of 20 km away from the city,” says L. Ravindranadh, an old-timer who tried to settle in Singapore with his family but returned because he could not keep himself away from his native soil.
“The city has been on an expansion mode, enriching the landscape of the suburbs. In the next few years, Vijayawada will come alive. I clearly foresee development reaching the rural pockets as well. People love to live in villages with facilities like running water and electricity, less pollution being an additional boon. I feel blessed to be living in a small city like Vijayawada where you find everything at a stone’s throw. People who have moved out of this place should now think of coming back as a lot of hope is in sight,” says Jogu Prasad, prominent women entrepreneur.
With so much wrong happening with the ‘modern metro’ cities, people in Vijayawada feel happy to have remained unchanged in their value systems over the years.
