Lifestyle - Travel | 3-18 yrs
When Gandhi Opened A Library
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It may come to many as a surprise that Mahatma Gandhi has once visited Chirala, a small town in Andhra Pradesh seeped in history, culture and heritage. Pristine and secluded, Chirala and its neighbouring town of Vetapalem are known for their stunning beaches, cashew nut factories and handlooms. While not many tourists may have explored this quaint region, the Saraswatha Niketanam library is particularly well-known because of an esteemed visitor.Â
Mahatma Gandhi had himself laid the foundation stone for a new wing of this library in 1927. He had left his walking stick here as a token of remembrance. It holds around 70,000 books on India’s freedom struggle. In this interesting Clipbook, we take you on a fascinating journey of Chirala, through the lens of photographer Sreenivasalu G.  Â
Chirala To Vodarevu Beach
When my friend told me about a library started by Mahatma Gandhi in a small town – Vetapalem (near Chirala) in Andhra Pradesh – I told myself that I have to visit this place, no matter what. I took a train from Chennai to Chirala. After travelling...
The Library Gandhi Visited
After spending two hours at the beach, I headed to Vetapalem, a smaller town, about 10 km from Chirala. I checked with my ‘autowala’ if he knew about the library. He smiled and said the library was a part of every family in the region. That conver...
The Ganesha Idol On The Beach
There is an idol of Lord Ganesha, right on the beach. Legend has it that several years ago, during heavy flooding, the idol had been washed away from the town into the seas and then washed back to the shores. Since then, the idol has remained on t...
The Restless Sea Beckons
The Vodarevu Beach is located at a distance just 6 kilometers from Chirala and offers a spectacular sightseeing for the tourists. The Vodarevu Beach is lined by the verdant coconut trees on one side and merges with the seething sea on another. The...
Cashews: A Good Evening Snack
With the clock ticking away, I knew I had to make my way to the cashew factories. There were around 6 to 8 factories in the region, employing about 40 workers each. They export oil and cashew nuts from there to South Africa and the northern parts ...
Power Of Handlooms
I was told by the locals in Vetapalem that the little town was also home to a beautiful beach, but due to the paucity of time, I couldn’t work out a second beach visit for the day. Next on my radar was Ramanagar, a small village with a big heart. ...
Getting To Chirala
Chirala is at a distance of 360 km from Chennai, 400 km from Hyderabad and 550 km from Bengaluru. The town is well-connected by road and rail from all these locations. There are budget hotels in Chirala. South Indian food is the predominant theme...
