Vishakhapatnam is not only known for its beautiful beaches, it is also home to historical memorials like Kurusura Submarine Museum, and the recent Tupolev Tu -142 Bomber. Both the exhibits have attracted crowds in large numbers.
Adding to this, the de-commissioned aircraft career (warship) INS Viraat will be soon converted ‘must-visit’ tourist destination in the city. The proposal of turning INS Viraat into a ‘floating hotel‘ has been going on for the past couple of years. initially, the Indian Navy asked the AP government to earmark a land of 750 acres for a world-class museum of the warship.
The estimated cost of the project was around 1,000 crores. Shockingly, the AP State government managed to convince the Central Government that the project will be carried with Rs. 300 crores initially, and later improve the facilities in and around the warship museum. The floating warship itself occupies around 20 acres with anchoring.
The ‘INS Viraat Warship’ museum is likely to come near Yarada or Bhimili beach. Given the iconic warships history and legacy, other states Goa and Maharashtra competed with Andhra Pradesh to convert the warship into a tourist spot in their respective states.
INS Viraat was first commissioned on 12th May 1987 and decommissioned on 23rd July 2016. It was the flagship of the Indian Navy during its service to the nation.
