Our overnight train from Hyderabad arrived in Visakhapatnam in the morning of Friday December 9 and a driver met us at the station to take us to the Classic Hotel, near Andhra University. We met Rani Sarma at the University, who took us to meet the archaeology professor L. Suryanaryna at his office.
Afterwards we went to Rani’s house, where we talked further about the project. We then went shopping for supplies, before returning to the hotel. That evening I went to the Visakhapatnam book fair nearby; it was not much and mostly had Telugu and Hindi books on offer.
A statue along the beach showing Bhima wrestling the demon
On the first day Rani came with us to introduce us to Mr. S. S. Roberts, the local historian, and Medina, a local who accompanied us each day.
Mr. Roberts, Rani, Medina, Me, Ilse and Anja at Mr. Robert’s house
Ilse, Anja and I, joined by Medina, went to the Dutch cemetery on the outskirts of the town, which we documented at length. Anja took most of the photographs during the project.
The Dutch cemetery
We then went into the town to the mosque and the adjacent ruined darghah tomb shrine. The local Sunni Muslims showed us a photograph of them commemorating Muharram at the mosque.
The mosque
Next to the mosque was a British period storehouse, known as the Ripley Godown.
After having lunch on the beach, we walked around the town and interviewed a local old-timer for a while.
We then went to the former Municipal Commissioner’s residence and the Municipal Choultry (guesthouse), passing by some unidentified old buildings.
An unidentified old building
Lastly, we went to the Customs House, which Ilse and Anja drew a floor plan of.
The Customs House
Around sunset we returned to Visakhapatnam. I had rented a car and driver for the duration of the project. Our hotel does not have a restaurant, but brings menu orders from a nearby restaurant, which take a long time to get delivered.
Ilse, L. Suryanaryna, another history professor, Rani and me in his office
The courtyard of the History Department
The next day Saturday December 10 was the first day of field work of my two-week project with Ilse and Anja. We began by spending four days at the town of Bhimunipatnam, north of Visakhapatnam, to see the Dutch and British colonial buildings there. Bhimunipatnam was the first settlement in India of the Dutch East India Company in the early 17th century. The town is named after Bhima, one of the heroes of the Mahabharata epic who wrestled with a demon here.
A statue along the beach showing Bhima wrestling the demon
On the first day Rani came with us to introduce us to Mr. S. S. Roberts, the local historian, and Medina, a local who accompanied us each day.
Mr. Roberts, Rani, Medina, Me, Ilse and Anja at Mr. Robert’s house
Ilse, Anja and I, joined by Medina, went to the Dutch cemetery on the outskirts of the town, which we documented at length. Anja took most of the photographs during the project.
The Dutch cemetery
We then went into the town to the mosque and the adjacent ruined darghah tomb shrine. The local Sunni Muslims showed us a photograph of them commemorating Muharram at the mosque.
The mosque
The local Sunnis commemorating Muharram
Next to the mosque was a British period storehouse, known as the Ripley Godown.
The Ripley Godown
After having lunch on the beach, we walked around the town and interviewed a local old-timer for a while.
Ilse and me interviewing the local old-timer
We then went to the former Municipal Commissioner’s residence and the Municipal Choultry (guesthouse), passing by some unidentified old buildings.
The Municipal Commissioner’s residence
An unidentified old building
The Municipal Choultry
Lastly, we went to the Customs House, which Ilse and Anja drew a floor plan of.
The Customs House
Ilse and Anja at the Customs House
Around sunset we returned to Visakhapatnam. I had rented a car and driver for the duration of the project. Our hotel does not have a restaurant, but brings menu orders from a nearby restaurant, which take a long time to get delivered.
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