Visakhapatnam: Adjoining the busy Daba Gardens in Jagadamba Junction, Ranga Street is a mute spectator of the resonating makeover that is unfolding in Vizag city.
A colony boasting several age-old lodges and hotels that have been catering to visitors over the past six decades, it still maintains the original beauty while parts of it being heading towards modernity. The colony had wide roads compared to the neighbourhood localities even when the city was still just a small town. Residents reminisce of when they used to take rickshaw rides in the 1990s to the celebrated Jagadamba, Jyothi and Leela Mahal theatres traversing through the single lane roads.
Omkar Rushiji of Prince Lodge, which was established in 1961, explained the transformation of the area. “The area was inhabited mainly by the Brahmin community in those days. Many noted hotels served the customers. While some shifted their base to other localities, still some are claiming their own place. But the area has been maintaining the same level of cleanliness over the last 25 years,” he said.
A horde of government offices and commercial establishments sprang up around the area and the one-storied building gave way to apartment complexes. But the narrow drains have made the area vulnerable to water-logging on rainy days. K. Rama Krishnarao, a retired government employee, recollecetd how they used to frequent the movie theatres on a cycle or rickshaw and how the area used to wear a very minimal look.
“We couldn’t imagine the pace of development of the city. Several noted landmark hotels operated from this area. In terms of cleanliness, there were no issues in this particular street as the roads are wide since the beginning, and municipal workers are prompt in doing their work. Residents have had no civic issues,” he said. However, Mr Krishnarao complained about the lack of a park in the vicinity.
