Amaravathi | |
---|---|
Village | |
Ratha Yatra ceremony at Amareswara temple Dhyana Buddha statue Town entrance AP Museum Dhyana Buddha Ghat Dhyana Buddha Museum Amaravati Mahastupa | |
Etymology: Abode of the immortals | |
Coordinates: 16°34′23″N80°21′29″E / 16.573°N 80.358°E | |
Country | India |
State | Andhra Pradesh |
District | Guntur |
Mandal | Amaravathi mandal |
Founded | 1790 |
Named for | Amararama |
Government | |
• Type | Panchayati raj |
• Body | Amaravathi gram panchayat |
Area | |
• Total | 1,524 ha (3,766 acres) |
Population (2011) [3] | |
• Total | 13,400 |
• Density | 880/km2 (2,300/sq mi) |
Languages | |
• Official | Telugu |
Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
PIN | 522020 |
Area code | +91–8645 |
Vehicle registration | AP |
Amaravathi is a village located on the banks of the Krishna River in the Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh, India. [4] It serves as the administrative centre of Amaravathi mandal [5] and lies within the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region. Known for its cultural heritage, Amaravathi lends its name to the state's newly planned capital, Amaravati, located 35 kilometers to the east. Amaravathi is notable for its prominent place in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions. [6]
The place is named after the Amareswara Temple, one of the Pancharama Kshetras, significant Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Siva. [7] It is also home to the ancient Amaravati Stupa, a Buddhist monument from the 2nd century BCE to the 3rd century CE. [8] [9] This stupa, now under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India, exemplifies the Amaravati School of Art, a style that had a lasting influence on Buddhist art throughout South and Southeast Asia. [7] Designated as one of India’s centrally protected Monuments of National Importance, the stupa and its surrounding ruins hold great cultural value. [10]
Amaravathi is located near Dhanyakataka (modern Dharanikota), which once served as the capital of the Satavahana dynasty. [11] Key landmarks in Amaravathi also include the Amaravathi Heritage Centre and Museum, which preserves artifacts from its ancient past, [12] and the Dhyana Buddha statue, a prominent modern sculpture representing the village's Buddhist heritage. [13] The village, with a population of around 13,400 as per the 2011 census, is also recognized under the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme for heritage conservation and development. [14] [15]
The name Amaravathi translates to "The Abode of Immortals." [16] The place is named after the Amareswara Temple, one of the Pancharama Kshetras, significant Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Siva. [7]
Amaravathi is said to have a continuous history spanning at least 2,300 years. [17] According to the tradition of the Kalachakra Tantra, Gautama Buddha is believed to have visited the Andhaka region (modern-day Dhanyakataka) to deliver sermons. During the rule of Emperor Ashoka, the region remained on the periphery of the Maurya Empire, but with the emergence of the Satavahana dynasty around 225 BCE, Amaravathi became their eastern capital, with Pratisthana (modern Paithan) serving as their western capital. [18]
The Amaravati Stupa, an ancient Buddhist monument, is one of the most prominent sites in South India. Discovered by a local zamindar in the late 18th century, it has undergone multiple excavations over the centuries. The stupa's origins likely date to the post-Mauryan period (c. 200–100 BCE), with evidence of later renovations. Early sculptures from the site exhibit signs of repurposing, indicating that the stupa’s architectural components were significantly modified over time. [19]
During the Satavahana period, Amaravathi and Sannati (in Gulbarga District, Karnataka) developed a distinct artistic style known as the Amaravati School of Art, comparable to the Mathura and Gandhara schools in Central and Northwestern India. Buddhist sculptures, including images of Vajrasana, Muchulinda Naga, and key episodes from Buddha's life, as well as memorial stones, were crafted in this style, characterized by intricate detailing and unique thematic elements. [20] These sculptures were exported to Sri Lanka, where they contributed to the spread of Buddhism. Amaravathi’s monasteries and educational institutions attracted scholars from across India, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. The Ikshvaku dynasty, which ruled the region in the 3rd to 4th centuries CE, continued to support these Buddhist institutions even after the decline of the Satavahanas. [21] The Skanda Purana provides accounts of Amaravathi’s religious and cultural significance, particularly focusing on the Shiva temple. [22]
The Mahachaitya at Amaravati, locally known as Dipaladinne ("Hill of Lamps"), was first recognized for its historical significance by Colonel Colin Mackenzie in 1797. The mound, located on the southern bank of the Krishna River, was being excavated on the orders of zamindar Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu, who had recently moved his seat of power from Chintapalli to Amaravati. As part of establishing the new township, Venkatadri Nayudu invited settlers from surrounding areas and provided support for building activities. Materials from Dipaladinne, including large bricks and sculptured marble slabs, were repurposed for construction, such as for the Sivaganga tank. Despite initial hopes of uncovering treasures, the zamindar's excavation yielded no valuables, and some sculpted slabs were defaced before being used in local mosques to prevent their association with idolatry. [23] [24]
News of these findings reached Mackenzie, who briefly visited and assessed the site's archaeological potential. In 1818, he returned with a team to create detailed drawings and recover some sculptured pieces. [24] Later, Walter Elliot (1803–1887) further excavated the Amaravati Stupa, sending a significant portion of artifacts, known as the "Elliot Marbles," to the British Museum. [25]
The Mahachaitya, or Amaravati Stupa, is the most prominent historic monument in Amaravathi. Built in phases between the 3rd century BCE and around 250 CE, it was later expanded with new sculptures by the Satavahanas around 50 CE. Protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, the site includes the stupa ruins and an adjacent museum housing artifacts from the site. [26] In 2006, the Dalai Lama visited Amaravati, performing Kalachakra Mahasamalanam during the Kalachakra festival. [27]
The Amaravati Stupa is celebrated for its influence on ancient Indian art, forming one of three major schools along with Mathura and Gandhara. [28] Its art style, known as the Amaravati or Andhra style, significantly influenced art in South India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. Today, notable sculptures from the stupa are held in museums, including the British Museum in London and the Government Museum in Chennai, reflecting the stupa’s historic prominence as a major monument in Buddhist Asia. [29]
Amaravathi is situated at 16°34′46″N80°18′40″E / 16.579444°N 80.311111°E . It is spread over an area of 1,524 ha (3,770 acres). [2]
As of 2011 [update] Census of India, the town had a population of 13,400 with 3,316 households. The total population constitute, 6,432 males and 6,958 females—a sex ratio of 1,082 females per 1,000 males. 1,321 children are in the age group of 0–6 years, of which 647 are boys and 674 are girls—a ratio of 1,042 per 1,000. The average literacy rate stands at 71.3% with 8,617 literates, higher than the state average of 67.4%. [3] [30]
Amaravathi gram panchayat is the local self-government of the village. [1] It is divided into wards and each ward is represented by a ward member. [31] The village as a part of Amaravathi mandal, which is part of the Pedakurapadu assembly constituency. [32] The present MLA representing the constituency is Bhashyam Praveen from TDP. [33]
The town is a centre of pilgrimage for both Hindus and Buddhists. The inscriptions on the walls of the Amareswara temple depicts the reign of Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu who ruled before the advent of British rule. He was well known for his benevolence, munificence and for the construction of a large number of temples and education centres in the Krishna River delta. [34] It also hosts a 125-foot tall statue of the Buddha, known as the Dhyana Buddha. [13] The ancient structures and replicas can be found at Kalachakra museum, which was renamed the Amaravathi Heritage Centre and Museum. [12] The ancient Buddhist stupa and other ruins make up one of the centrally protected Monuments of National Importance. [10] The main Hindu festivals celebrated are Mahasivaratri and the Navaratri. The 30th Kalachakra festival, a popular Buddhist ritual, was held at Amaravathi in the first week of January 2006. It is one of the oldest tourist places for Buddhists. [35]
The only means of connectivity for the village is by road. The Vijayawada–Amaravathi Road connects the village with cities of Vijayawada, Tenali, Guntur, and with the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region areas of Undavalli, Penumaka, Rayapudi. [36] The Guntur–Amaravathi Road connects it with the district headquarters, Guntur. [37] It also has road connectivity from Sattenapalle, Mangalagiri and Krosuru. APSRTC operates buses from major bus stations like NTR bus station in Guntur, Pandit Nehru bus station in Vijayawada and the Tenali bus station. [37] [38] [39] The village has no rail connectivity.
A waterway categorised as class–III is planned from Pulichintala to Prakasam Barrage, which connects the nearby villages of Harishchandrapuram and Vykuntapuram. [40]
As per the school information report for the academic year 2018–19, the village has a total of 17 schools. These schools include 4 MPP, one KGBV and 12 private schools. [41]
Mangalagiri is one of the fastly growing Suburb of Vijayawada.it is a part of Guntur District, it is a part of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority
Coastal Andhra, also known as Kosta Andhra, is a geographic region in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, comprising the coastal districts of the state between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal, from the northern border with Orissa to Rayalaseema in the south. It includes major cities such as Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada as well as the state capital Amaravati and is recognized for its fertile lands, rich cultural heritage, and economic importance. Coastal Andhra plays a significant role in the state's agricultural output, particularly in rice and tobacco production, supported by abundant water resources from the Godavari, Krishna, and Penna rivers.
Guntur district is one of the twenty six districts in the Coastal Andhra region of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The administrative seat of the district is located at Guntur, the largest city of the district in terms of area and with a population of 670,073. It has a coastline of approximately 100 km (62 mi) on the right bank of Krishna River, that separates it from Krishna district and NTR district. It is bounded on the south by Bapatla district and on the west by Palnadu district. It has an area of 2,443 km2 (943 sq mi), with a population of 20,91,075, as per 2011 census of India.
Dharanikota is a village in Palnadu district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located in Amaravathi mandal of Sattenapalli revenue division. The village forms a part of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region, under the jurisdiction of APCRDA.
Bhattiprolu is a village in Bapatla district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Bhattiprolu mandal in Tenali revenue division. The Buddhist stupa in the village is one of the centrally protected monuments of national importance. One of the earliest evidence of Brahmi script in South India comes from Bhattiprolu. The script was written on an urn containing Buddha's relics. The script has been named Bhattiprolu script.
Sculpture in the Indian subcontinent, partly because of the climate of the Indian subcontinent makes the long-term survival of organic materials difficult, essentially consists of sculpture of stone, metal or terracotta. It is clear there was a great deal of painting, and sculpture in wood and ivory, during these periods, but there are only a few survivals. The main Indian religions had all, after hesitant starts, developed the use of religious sculpture by around the start of the Common Era, and the use of stone was becoming increasingly widespread.
Nagarjunakonda: Nāgārjunikoṇḍa, meaning Nagarjuna Hill) is a historical town, now an island located near Nagarjuna Sagar in Palnadu district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of India's richest Buddhist sites, and now lies almost entirely under the lake created by the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam. With the construction of the dam, the archaeological relics at Nagarjunakonda were submerged, and had to be excavated and transferred to higher land, which has become an island.
Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu, titled “Bhuloka Devendra” - was a hereditary Raja of Chintapalli, and was later the founder and Raja of Amaravathi, in the Palnadu district of India, under the British East India Company. He had under his control 552 villages and towns located in Guntur and Krishna districts and their environs. Peeved by the perceived mistreatment by the East India Company, he abandoned his hereditary palace at Chintapalli and built a new palace and town at Amaravathi, the site of the ancient Satavahana capital. In the process of its construction, his workers unearthed the famous Amaravati Stupa as well as causing considerable damage to it.
Chebrolu is a village in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the headquarters of Chebrolu mandal in Tenali revenue division. It was once a Buddhist site and territorial capital of Kakatiya dynasty. The Archaeological excavations revealed Buddhist artefacts of Satavahana and Ikshavaku period.
Veluri Venkata Krishna Sastry was an archaeologist and historian in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Amaravati is the capital city of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated in Guntur district along the right bank of the Krishna River and southwest of Vijayawada. The city is named after the nearby historic site of Amaravathi adjacent to Dharanikota, which was once the capital of the Satavahana dynasty around two millennia ago. Amaravati is part of the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region, which includes the neighboring cities of Vijayawada and Guntur.
Amarāvati Stupa is a ruined Buddhist stūpa at the village of Amaravathi, Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh, India, probably built in phases between the third century BCE and about 250 CE. It was enlarged and new sculptures replaced the earlier ones, beginning in about 50 CE. The site is under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India, and includes the stūpa itself and the Archaeological Museum.
Chandavaram Buddhist site is an ancient Indian Buddhist site in Chandavaram village in Prakasam district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Situated on the bank of Gundlakamma River, the site is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northwest of Donakonda railway station. The Chandavaram Buddhist site was built between the 2nd century BCE and the 2nd century CE during the Satavahana dynasty and was discovered by Veluri Venkata Krishna Sastry in 1964.
Amararamam is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Siva, located in Amaravathi of Palnadu district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the five sacred Pancharama Kshetras and is unique among them for being situated on the banks of the Krishna River, while the others are located in the Godavari region. The temple enshrines a large 15-foot white marble Sivalinga, which requires priests to stand on a platform to perform daily rituals. Lord Amareswara, the main deity, is accompanied by his consort, Bala Chamundika.
The Amaravathi Archaeological Museum is a museum located in, a village in of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It features an impressive collection of relics that span thousands of years, primarily reflecting the region's history from the 3rd century B.C. It houses sculptures from the Mahachaitya, providing insights into ancient Buddhist art and culture. It includes a model of the reconstructed Mahachaitya in its courtyard. Visitors can explore various galleries that showcase significant artifacts, including life-size Buddha statues and intricate carvings, representing the rich artistic traditions of Amaravathi.
The Dhyana Buddha is a statue of Gautama Buddha seated in a meditative posture located in Amaravathi, Andhra Pradesh, India. Completed in 2015, the statue is 125 ft (38 m) tall and is occupies a 4.5-acre site on the banks of the Krishna River. It is embellished with modern reproductions of sculptures from the Amaravati School of art which flourished in the region from 200 BC to 200 AD.
The Andhra Pradesh State Department of Archaeology and Museums is a department of the Government of Andhra Pradesh which oversees archaeological exploration and maintenance of heritage sites and museums in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was established in the year 1914 under the stewardship of Dr. Ghulam Yazdani. As a result of formation of A. P. State in 1956, the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Hyderabad was expanded and it became known as Andhra Pradesh Department of Archaeology and Museums in the year 1960. When the state of Telangana was formed in 2014, the department was separated into two; leading to disputes between the two newly formed departments over historical artifacts.
Chintapalli (చింతపల్లి) is a village in the Atchampet mandal of Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh, India on the southern bank of the Krishna River. It is the site of the former headquarters of Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu's zamindari estate in the late 18th century. Nayudu abandoned Chintapalli in protest of alleged mistreatment by his overlords, the British East India Company, and constructed a new capital at Amaravathi.
Jaggayyapeta, also spelled “Jaggaiahpet”, is a census town in NTR district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, located just southwest of the border with Telangana. It is also the mandal headquarters of Jaggayyapeta mandal of Nandigama revenue division. Jaggayyapet is the second biggest town in the district followed by Vijayawada.The town is located on the banks of the Paleru River which is a tributary of the Krishna River.
Goli is a village in Palnadu district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is situated on the right bank of the river Goleru, which joins the Krishna River two miles to the north. It is located in Rentachintala mandal of Palnadu district in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is situated 5 km away from sub-district headquarters Rentachintala and 120 km away from Guntur. It is 49.7 km downstream of Nagarjunakonda and 113 km upstream of Amaravathi.