The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Sub museum makes waves in Vizag

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 14, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Sub museum makes waves in Vizag

By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM, AUG. 13. Some teething problems notwithstanding, the submarine museum on the Beach Road here has managed to hog its share of limelight in the last two years.

The National Ship Design Centre had to struggle a lot to haul the decommissioned INS Kursura from the sea to the beach and position it on a concrete foundation.

The initial hurdle scaled, the submarine was refurbished with corrosion-proof painting, air-conditioning and pleasant interiors.

Thus formed `Kursura Museum.' Soon, the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Navy on the museum maintenance.

South Asia's first

The museum is the first of its kind in South Asia. The INS Kursura was a Soviet-built-I-641 class submarine inducted into the Navy on December 18, 1969 and was decommissioned in February 28, 2001. It played a stellar role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. In the first year, the museum attracted 2.52 lakh visitors, fetching Rs. 52.5 lakhs. The following year too reported similar figures. A VUDA official told The Hindu that this year they were expecting a quantum jump in revenue and the number of visitors.

Floating hotel

The VUDA Vice-Chairman, D. Sreenivasulu, at the second anniversary function, hinted at a floating hotel in the sea facing the museum.

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