Visakhapatnam: A History of Continuity, Change and Cosmopolitanism offers a compelling social science perspective on the evolution of Andhra Pradesh's thriving metropolis. Moving beyond traditional quantitative urban studies, this volume employs a critical lens to explore how the sleepy coastal town of the past transformed into a strategic economic hub. The narrative oscillates between historical and contemporary events, tracing the city's identity through its various names-Waltair, Vizag, and Vizagapatnam-while investigating how the spatial and social fabric was shaped before the advent of modern economic turnover. By documenting the conjoint constitution of the natural and social environments, the editors provide a nuanced representation of the systems through which local lives and community identities are woven together.
The book features a diverse range of ethnographies and historiographies that traverse the city's unique cultural and ecological landscape. Readers will discover the city's deep-rooted maritime heritage that predates colonial intervention and explore the biodiversity of the Eastern Ghats alongside postcolonial civil engineering feats. The chapters further delve into the lived experiences of Anglo-Indian neighbourhoods, the navigation of identity within Muslim communities, and the global reach of 18th-century ivory craftsmanship. Ultimately, this work seeks to nudge social science scholarship forward, bringing the city into focus for the academic community and the common people who share a profound attachment to this City of Destiny.

Nalini Bikkina is Professor at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, GITAM Deemed to be University, Visakhapatnam, India. Her research is interdisciplinary, connecting psychology and public policy to explore areas like forced migration, climate change adaptation, sustainability, social innovation and rural livelihoods. She recently co-edited the 2024 volume, Climate Change Adaptation: Traditional Wisdom and Cross-Scale Understanding, published by Palgrave Macmillan.
Abhijit Dasgupta is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the School of Social Sciences and Languages, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India. His areas of interest include the anthropology of Christianity, sociology of neighbourhood studies, urban studies, migration, and environmental sociology. His recent papers have been published in International Journal of Asian Christianity (2024) and Sociological Bulletin (co-authored, 2026).