Rs 1.20 crore in the first phase, while an ambitious master plan with an outlay of Rs 90 crore is on the cards to develop it into the ‘Gandhi India International Centre’

metro india news  I amaravati

Vijayawada may today be known as a bustling commercial hub and the heart of present-day Andhra Pradesh’s capital region, but long before highways and high-rises defined its skyline, a solitary hill quietly shaped its history. Gandhi Hill, once called Orr Hill during British times, stands right behind the Vijayawada Railway Station, a silent witness to the city’s evolution, heritage, and forgotten reverence. “Visiting Gandhi Hill was like reading a chapter of our own history,” recalls 62-year-old Vijayawada resident Srinivas Rao. “Today, it feels as though that chapter has been torn out.”

What was once a must for annual school trips, over the years, faded into oblivion but there is hope that it would once again come into spotlight.  The hill, spread over 18 acres, has already received a facelift worth Rs 1.20 crore in the first phase, while an ambitious master plan with an outlay of Rs 90 crore is on the cards to develop it into the ‘Gandhi India International Centre’.

Gandhi Hill Manager Ravi Teja admits the challenge, “We modernise, renovate, and keep the place alive, but unless people come, the memorial cannot breathe. Gandhi Hill needs hearts, not just funds.” A 43-metre-high lift has been installed to ease access, supplementing the 120 steps that allow visitors to trek to the hilltop. Greenery work with many types of flowers has been done, and children’s play is upgraded with modern equipment. Toilets and civil works have been completed.

Before 1968, the hill featured in railway records as Orr Hill, named after a British engineer, Mr. Orr, who played a crucial role in developing the Vijayawada railway station. It gained a new identity after Mahatma Gandhi visited the city on March 31, 1921, to attend the All India Congress Committee meeting, an event that left an indelible mark on Vijayawada’s political and cultural landscape.

To honour the Mahatma, the Gandhi Smaraka Nidhi envisioned a memorial. Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri laid its foundation on November 9, 1964, and President Dr. Zakir Hussain inaugurated the 52-foot-high Gandhi Stupa on October 6, 1968. It became one of the first seven Gandhi stupas ever built in India.

Speaking to Metro India, District Collector G Lakshmisha said, “We want to bring more life and energy to this memorial site and make it to future generations. Once the Gandhi India International Centre takes a shape, the hill will evolve from being just a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi into a vibrant hub of art, learning, and humanitarian values, a place that can inspire both tourists and scholars alike.”