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Bus journey of yore
Though Gajuwaka today is part of Greater Visakha and is treated as an important location, in the 1960s, it was only a conglomeration of a few villages. The only mode of transport from the town was the private bus service. The buses ran from the Old Post Office or Peda Waltair to Balacheruvu on one side and Agnampudi on the other side. They plied via Poorna Market, Kotha Road, Chavulamadum and Scindia to Balacheruvu or Agnampudi.
The bus crew included a driver, a conductor and a cleaner. The cleaner played an important role to the source of income for the owner. The cleaner would stand on the footrest near the front door and upon sighting a prospective commuter would blow his whistle, signalling the driver to stop. He would pick up passengers irrespective of the scheduled stops. The bus capacity depended on the accommodative capability of the cleaner. Inside the bus, it was nothing but short of hell on earth. Apart from being hot and sweaty, there were other ‘value additions’ like crying babies, infighting among passengers, muttering of curses, and toe crushing was part and parcel of the journey. A few people would throw their towels or handkerchiefs through the open windows to reserve the seats and it depended on their muscle power to get hold over it. In the Gajuwaka area, people would wait under the shade of palmyrah or banyan trees to board a bus, which frequented every two hours on an average. (Contributed by B.V. Ramamurty)
First Church Building
The first attempt to construct a church was made by John William Gordon of London Missionary Society in 1835. After receiving sizeable contributions from the Englishmen who resided here and a few natives, a land was purchased in an area which was then called as Pettah. An English army engineer helped in making the plans and the designs. The church was consecrated on September 25, 1836. It was big enough and could accommodate at least 300 persons at a time, and it was built at a cost of Rs.7,000 which included the cost of the land also. The church was called as Mission Chapel. Both English and Telugu services were held at different timings. Later, another chapel was built exclusively for conducting Telugu services on the Main Road and the Mission Chapel was dedicated for English services.
In 1911, when the London Missionary Society closed down their mission in Visakhapatnam, they handed over the Mission Chapel to the Canadian Baptists. The church was renovated in 1925 with the help of donations from its members. A philanthropic lady by name Seethyamma contributed a sizeable sum. The church then came to be known as Andhra Baptist Church and is located in the Old Town area, behind the Kurupam Market. (Contributed by Vijjeswarapu Edward Paul)
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
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Kochi
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Visakhapatnam
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