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| Visakhapatnam Dist.Collector office .picxy.com |
Above image: It is said on 15 August 1947 the Union Jack was brought down from the same flag post for the first time since the building was inaugurated and our National Flag hoisted by the then District Collector A.H. Southern, who was also a Britisher..In 1803 Visakhapatnam district was formed and the first District Collector was L.G.K. Murray. The collector office functioned in various locations before moving into a permanent location.......
The Visakhapatnam District Collectorate building stands as a powerful physical testament to the enduring administrative and architectural legacy of the British Raj in Andhra Pradesh. Conceived during an era when the District Collector was the pivot of regional governance—a professional from the Indian Civil Service (ICS) responsible for everything from revenue organization and dispute settlement to famine relief—this structure symbolized imperial authority and assertiveness. Its connection to the region’s volatile history is significant, particularly in 1920, when the notorious British Collector Rutherford used the very building as the command center to trap the popular revolutionary, Alluri Seetharamaraju.
Architecturally, the building is a stunning example of
European Gothic style. Designed and constructed by the Dutch engineering company
Gannon Dunkerly, the project spanned a remarkable 49 years, commencing in 1865 and reaching completion by 1914. Its design elements consciously mimic a castle, featuring an elegant E-shape, a buttressed porch, and tall circular turrets that ascend all three floors. The structure is further characterized by a crenelated parapet, square pavilions, and a grand portico, giving it a commanding presence in the
Maharanipeta neighborhood.
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.Visakhapatnam District collectorate building, AP. thehindu.com
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Inside, the three-story building maintains its grandeur with spacious corridors, impressive vintage stairways, and grand rooms featuring arched doorways and big windows, all designed to facilitate the vast administrative work carried on in one centralized location. The building’s inauguration on August 15, 1913, by Collector
L.T. Harris, established a date of profound historical irony. Precisely 34 years later, on August 15, 1947, the Union Jack was lowered from the same flag-post and the Indian National Flag was hoisted, marking the dawn of independent India, a tradition that continues to this day. Even after facing damage during
Cyclone Hudhud in 2014, the rectifications ensured this
Gothic-styled masterpiece continues to carry the weight of both colonial tradition and national history.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/110-years-on-visakhapatnam-collectorate-continues-to-withstand-the-test-of-time/articleshow/102738701.cms
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/tracing-the-glorious-past-of-the-visakhapatnam-collectors-office/article32348088.ece
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/hudhud-impact-on-heritage-building/article6933109.ece/photo/1/
https://www.yovizag.com/collectorate-visakhapatnam-heritage/
