Embracing whatever is good and an accommodative attitude leads to development of a culture that helps in progress, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Commissioner V.N. Vishnu has said.
Speaking on ‘Our heritage and culture’ at a lecture-meeting organised by National Maritime Foundation (NMF) Visakhapatnam Regional Chapter here on Friday, he dwelt at length on the rich culture and heritage of the country and the region, the need to protect, preserve and promote it and the immense prospects it held for growth. Roots of cultural and commercial exchange were found in river or maritime routes.
Stating that a combination of biology, belief systems and behaviour pattern made up culture, Mr. Vishnu underlined the importance attached to human life at various stages in the dharmic religion followed.
“While culture is natural tie of civilisation with reference to a race or a nation, heritage comprised valuable things that forefathers bequeathed with regard to religion, art, cuisine etc,” Mr. Vishnu said in sourced quotes. He stressed the need to showcase the heritage from East Godavari to Srikakulam, stating that there were more than 200 tourist spots, including temples at Meliaputti, Srimukhalingam and Mahendragiri in the Eastern Ghats and Thotlakonda, Bavikonda and Pavuralakonda. As VUDA Vice-Chairman, he mooted the development of a botanical garden to preserve the rare plants of the Eastern Ghats.
Visakhapantam had a cosmopolitan culture, he said adding one should be proud of the cultural mix it enjoyed. “We see more than tolerance, a religious camaraderie here,” he commented.
As VUDA Vice-Chairman he had identified a site and approved a proposal for a branch of Visakhapatnam Public Library as the city was growing in that direction. It would be handed over with a building to the trust, he added.
Train connectivity
Interacting with the gathering, he said to improve train connectivity Duvvada station had to be developed with a flyover from Sheelanagar. GVMC would organise an artist’s camp in the city in April and had plans for a gallery in course of time.
NMF regional chapter co-ordinator A. Prasanna Kumar, who welcomed, said NMF, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, plans to organise programmes on culture, heritage, maritime activity etc. A formal function would be organised for its launch in February/March in which former Chief of Naval Staff Arun Prakash would participate. He lauded the work done by Mr. Vishnu as Srikakulam Collector to promote its rich Buddhist sites and culture.
