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Buddhist Places
Andhra Pradesh was once
the site of a flourishing Buddhist culture. The Satavahana dynasty
was followed by the Salivahanas, who were Buddhists by religion.
Several Buddhist stupas and viharas were built during their reign,
and Buddhist centres flourished at places like Nagarjunakonda, Amaravati,
Sankara, Bhattiprolu, Guntupalli, Ghantasala, Salihunda, Panigiri,
Nelakondapalli, Bavikonda and other places in Andhra Pradesh.
Nagarjunasagar
and Nagarjunakonda
Known as Vijayapuri
in ancient times, an island set in the middle of a man-made lake
Nagarjunasagar, is an important Buddhist site, located 150 km. from
Hyderabad. It was named after Acharya Nagarjuna, a famous Buddhist
teacher in the Andhra kingdom. Relics of the Buddhist civilisation
found here, date back to the III century A.D. The excavated reins
were reconstructed and are carefully preserved here.
Excavations at
Nagarjunakonda revealed the Mahachaitya, the most sacred of the
stupas. An inscription in Bramhi characters states that the sacred
relics of Lord Buddha lie within the Mahachaitya. The ruins of a
university, vihara, monasteries and an ‘Aswamedha’ sacrificial altar,
as well as prehistoric tools from Paleolithic and Neolithic times
were also discovered here. The museum at Nagarjunakonda has a model
of the now-submerged valley and its environs.
Reach
- Nearest airport is at Hyderabad (150 km.)
- Macherla is the nearest rail head (22 km.)
- Nagarjunasagar is at a distance of 150 km. from Hyderabad,
22 km. from Macherla, 180 km. from Vijayawada.
- A regular bus service connects Macherla with Nagarjunasagar.
A.P.Tourism’s conducted tour facilities are available from Hyderabad.
Tours are conducted daily from Yatrinivas, Secunderabad which
also includes lunch.The tour covers Nagarjunakonda Museum, Right
Canal and Ethipothala water falls.
Stay
Comfortable accommodation is available in A.P.Tourism guest houses,
cottages and motels.
Anupu
During the construction
of the Nagarjunasagar dam, the ruins of an ancient Buddhist university
were excavated. These have been reconstructed at Anupu, 4 km. away
from the right bank of the reservoir.
Amaravati
One of the four major
places of Buddhist worship in the country, Amravathi is located
near the ancient Satavahana capital, Dhyanyakataka. Over two thousand
years ago on the south banks of the river Krishna, stood the Mahastupa,
the largest stupa in the country, 36.5 ft across and girdled by
a circulatory path.
Built out of kiln-burnt
bricks and faced with marble slabs, the Mahastupa is richly adorned
with carvings, depicting events from the life of the Buddha along
its dome and the outer and inner sides of the railing. The Mahastupa
is known locally as Deepaladinne or Hillock of laps. Amaravati is
considered the most sacred of pilgrim centre in South India for
Buddhists.
Reach
- Airport at Vijayawada that is 65 km. away
- Nearest railway stations are at Guntur, 36 km. away and at
Vijayawada, 82 km. away.
- Guntur is 35 km. away, Vijayawada is 82 km.away, Hyderabad
is 350 km. away.
- Bus service is well organised from the pilgrimage spot. Taxis
are available at Guntur and Vijayawada.
Stay
Tourist Complex (operational soon) and PWD travelers bungalow offer
a comfortable stay. Budget and star hotels at Guntur, Vijayawada
offer excellent accommodation.
Guntupalli
Located in West Godavari
district at a distance of 85 km. form Vijayawada and 44 km. form
Eluru is Guntupalli, the most beautiful site in entire South India,
with a rock cut cave set in a picturesque hill, in serene surroundings.
There is also a circular Chaityagraha with several images of Buddha,
motive stupas and viharas.
Reach
Easily accessible from Vijayawada through State buses and taxis.
Stay
Star and budget hotels at Vijayawada offer accommodation.
Sankara
Located 40 km. from Visakhapatnam
and 3 km. north of Anakapally, Sankara has numerous monolithic motive
stupas, rock cut caves and buildings, dating back to the 7th century
A.D. The main stupa was first carved out of rock and then encased
in bricks.
Reach
Easily accessible from Visakhapatnam through State buses and taxis.
Stay
Visakhapatnam offers budget and star hotels.
Bhattiprolu
Bhattiprolu is located
at 320 km. from Hyderabad in the Repalle Taluk of Guntur district.
The Mahastupa at Bhattiprolu has yielded sacred relics of the Buddha
as attested by one of the inscriptions. The stupa is of solid brick
work with a dome which was 40m in diameter. The 2.4m drum was panelled
with oblong stone slabs, alternating with pilasters.
The most important excavation,
however, was that of three inscribed stone receptacles found near
the central hall. The first of these contained a black stone casket,
copper beads, pearls and other jewellery, gold flowers and two thin
gold pieces with three pieces of bones and articles of jewellery.
Reach
Easily accessible from Vijayawada and Guntur by buses and taxis.
Stay
Vijayawada, Guntur offer budget & star hotels.
Chandavaram
Chandavaram is located
in Prakasam district, 50 km. from Vijayawada. This is another important
Buddhist site, with a unique double terraced stupa at the top of
a hillock locally known as Sinarakonda (beautiful hillock) and adjacent
to the rivulet Gundlakaa. It is probably the first of its kind in
the whole of South India in elevation and compares favourably with
the famous Dhararajaka Stupa at Taxila. Excavations here revealed
more than 30 beautifully carved limestone panels once decorated
over the dome of the stupa. The monastic complex and several minor
stupas are situated in its vicinity.
Reach
Easily accessible from Vijayawada through State buses and taxis.
Stay
Vijayawada offers budget and star hotels.
Ghantasala
This site is located 280 km. from Hyderabad and 21 km. west of Machilipatnam
in the Divi Taluk, Krishna district. The stupa that was excavated
here is of a unique design. A cube of solid bricks is set in the
centre, inscribed with 12 constellations of zodiac. Besides these,
Buddhist ruins have been unearthed at Jaggayapeta near Vijayawada,
at Raathirtha in Vijayanagaram, at Salihunda in Srikakulam, at Goli
in Palanadu Taluk, Guntur, at Gudivada to the north west of Machilipatnam,
at Nelakondapalli in Khammam district and at Adore in East Godavari
district, Phanigiri and Gajula Banda at Nalgonda. Bhavikonda and
Thotla Konda near Visakhapatnam have also yielded evidence of Buddhist
reins.
Reach
Easily accessible from Srikakulam, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam through
State owned buses and taxis.
Stay
Vijayawada offers budget and star hotels.
Buddha
Purnima Project
As a part of the Buddha Purnima project on Tank Bund in Hyderabad,
a magnificent 18 mt. high, 350 tonne monolithic statue of Lord Buddha
has been erected on the ‘Rock of Gibraltar’ in the middle of the
lake. This is a great tourist attraction.
Reach
Hyderabad is very well connected by air, rail and road.
Stay
Hyderabad offers budget and star hotels.
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