In Visakhapatnam, activity groups turn cafes and parks into weekend cultural hubs
On a recent Saturday afternoon, the hum at Veux Café carried more than the usual clatter of cups. A long wooden table had been claimed by a dozen strangers leaning over sheets of handmade paper, arranging delicate bougainvillea petals and fern leaves into quiet compositions. There was no instructor with a microphone and no rush to finish. For nearly three hours, conversation drifted between colour palettes and childhood memories while hands worked patiently through the craft of pressed flower art. The theme was Gallentine’s Day, yet the mood felt less themed and more attentive.
The gathering was organised by Strings Community, a collective started four months ago by Hersh Jain and Sai Vamsi Malyakula. Hersh, who works in financial investments, felt the city offered dining and cinema experiences but had few spaces for measured recreation. He and Sai wanted to assemble small groups where people could participate in quality experiences.
Participants at Strings community in Visakhapatnam.
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“We prefer to keep our sessions around three hours because art loses meaning when it is hurried,” Jain explains. “People understand a medium more deeply when they sit with it. The aim is to create settings where conversation unfolds naturally and where the work on the table becomes a shared language.”
Earlier workshops included clay trinket making at Babi Cha Cafe near RK Beach. Jain notes that the attendance reflected a balanced mix of men and women. “It reassured us that the interest is not confined to a single demographic. There is curiosity across the board.”
Such curiosity appears to be shaping a quiet shift across the city. Beaches, public parks and independent cafes are increasingly doubling as informal cultural centres on Saturdays and Sundays. Instead of defaulting to malls, a segment of residents is gravitating towards activity-led gatherings that promise interaction without overwhelming.
Communize Vizag event in Visakhapatnam.
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Communize Vizag represents the more expansive end of this development. Founded six months ago by data analyst Roshan Polamarasetty and a group of associates, the platform now hosts around 20 clubs ranging from book discussions and trekking to Formula 1 enthusiasts and art sessions. Finance and startup conversations are expected to join the roster soon. By mid-February, the collective will have completed 45 events.
Before launching, Roshan says, the team conducted a survey to identify what the city lacked. “We realised that people were searching for spaces where they could engage with others beyond transactional exchanges. The options were limited. That insight encouraged us to organise interest-specific clubs so that people could find others who cared about the same subjects.”
The response to the Formula 1 club surprised even the organisers. “More than 70 individuals signed up to be part of that circle. None of them were personal acquaintances. They found us independently. That confirmed that there was demand for structure.”
On February 14, Communize Vizag is hosting a paint-themed gathering at Cheroney Café around the ideas of Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day. The event follows the group’s activity calendar that includes treks and reading sessions.
Komal Bagrodia Saraf at her Vizag Coffee Club in Visakhapatnam.
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For Komal Bagrodia Saraf, the shift carries a personal dimension. She moved to Visakhapatnam from Rajasthan two years ago after her marriage and found herself navigating an unfamiliar social terrain without extended family nearby. Vizag Coffee Club began as an attempt to address her own isolation. Since then, she has organised paint-and-coffee mornings, pickleball meetups and a vision board workshop.
“It is remarkable to watch strangers arrive hesitantly and leave as acquaintances,” she says. “At one session, someone spoke about wanting to become a disc jockey at 60. The room responded with encouragement rather than amusement. Age seemed irrelevant in that moment. These meetings allow people to articulate aspirations they might otherwise keep private.”
Her next event, scheduled at Zoro Café, combines games with a gift exchange for Galentine’s Day. The emphasis, she notes, rests less on celebration and more on participation. “People are not just attending an activity. They are investing in a shared experience.”
Art Social Vizag’s sari picnic event at VMRDA Park in Visakhapatnam.
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Public parks, too, are assuming new roles. Art Social Vizag, started by IT professional Kiranmai Srinija and her sister Bhargavi, began as a way to reconnect with their own artistic inclinations. Years ago, the sisters supplied handmade greeting cards to local stores such as Archies Gallery and Darling’s Paradise. In January, they conducted a reusable rangoli mat workshop for children. One of their most discussed events, however, unfolded at VMRDA Park as a saree art picnic.
A girl engrossed in art work at Art Social Vizag’s event in Visakhapatnam.
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Participants arrived draped in sarees and settled onto mats beneath the trees for a session on nature journaling and flower hammering using high GSM paper. “The park altered the atmosphere entirely,” Kiranmai reflects. “Working outdoors introduced a certain attentiveness. The setting encouraged participants to observe rather than merely produce. It remains one of my favourite sessions.”
Cost remains a careful consideration. Organisers acknowledge that Visakhapatnam is sensitive to pricing, and most workshops are designed to remain accessible. “The intention is to cultivate networking and skill-building without making it prohibitive,” Kiranmai says. Art Social Vizag’s upcoming Valentine’s Day event will take place at Brew n Cue Café, continuing the pattern of cafés functioning as collaborative arenas.
(Reach out to the groups at their Instagram handles @strings_community, @communize.vizag, @komal_bagrodia and @artsocialvizag).
Published – February 13, 2026 10:24 am IST
