Preserving Heritage: Venkata Rama Reddy’s mission to revive Visakhapatnam’s old buildings

For some, childhood interests are fleeting. For others, they become the foundation of a lifelong passion. In the case of Venkata Rama Reddy, it was the latter. His “love affair” with heritage began when he was just five years old while staying with his grandmother in East Godavari. Unlike most children his age who were busy playing, young Venkat was captivated by the history and stories of the places around him. That early fascination has shaped his mission to preserve the heritage of Visakhapatnam.

Venkat’s journey with Yo! Vizag began in 2014 when he was first featured for his social work. Ten years later, his dedication has only grown, and today, he is a successful entrepreneur and an active member of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). In an exclusive interview, Venkat reflected on his dedication towards restoring heritage monuments in Visakhapatnam through a unique form of art: miniature models.

One of his most notable works is the miniature model of Queen Mary’s Girls High School, a labour of love that took years to research and develop. INTACH first proposed its preservation in 2013, though the project was stalled in between due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As an INTACH member, Venkat draws inspiration from renowned historians including John Castellas and Edward Paul, whose in-depth knowledge of Visakhapatnam’s history has fuelled his research. He also credits Heritage Narrator Jayshree Hatangadi for spreading awareness about the city’s legacy among the public.

“While these people were focused on documenting history, I wanted to do something to restore and preserve parts of it. That is when I came up with the idea of making miniature models.” Venkat explains.

When he was on his quest to find a way to restore these structures, he came across B Gowtham Kumar, whose talent for making miniature models fascinated Venkat and kickstarted this project. These models, replicating the city’s historic architecture, are crafted from materials like ivory paper, cardboard, and thermocol.

Venkat’s work didn’t happen overnight and creating miniature models is just the start. The heritage enthusiast continues to also pitch these restoration projects to NGOs like the Rotary Club, Lions Club, and government authorities, tirelessly advocating for the preservation of Visakhapatnam’s rich history.

“If we don’t act now, the historic buildings in Bheemili will be lost forever. We need to protect the little that is left there,” he warns. In cases where making models isn’t possible, Venkat commissions Conjectural Portraits to illustrate how these heritage structures once stood.

Alongside the miniature model of Queen Mary’s Girls High School, Venkat has commissioned three models of other important sites in Visakhapatnam including the Bheemili Gali Meda, Kurpam Market, and the Kurpam Market Clock Tower.

“Restoring a building takes more effort and money than constructing a new one, which is why heritage monuments often struggle to survive,” he explains.

The restoration process is not without its challenges. “Funding and public awareness are major hurdles,” Venkat admits, acknowledging that financial backing is often scarce for restoration projects. He has been working hard to gain support from institutions like the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA), Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), and the Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT).

For Venkat, preserving the heritage of Visakhapatnam is more than just a passion project, it is a responsibility that safegaurds our future by ensuring that the city’s rich history and present is not lost to time.

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