Nagarjunakonda is a historical town located in what is now Guntur district of the south-eastern state of Andhra Pradesh, India. It was a very important Buddhist site and center of learning from the first to the fourth century but now lies almost entirely submerged under the waters of the lake created by the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam on the Krishna River.
A six-year-long archaeological excavation by a team of dedicated archaeologists managed to rescue most of the relics and artifacts when the dam was built. These were shifted to higher ground, a hill of the Nallamal Range, which has now become an island in the lake. This partially submerged hill is now known as Nagarjunakonda or what’s left of the original site that now lies underwater.
Interestingly, Nagarjunakonda is named after the important early Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna, who has been linked to the site. However, the name is a medieval one and the association with Nagarjuna is not entirely proven. In ancient times, when Nagarjunakonda was active as an important Buddhist learning and monastic center, it was called Vijaypuri.
The early Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna, who may or may not be directly connected with Nagarjunakonda site, with Thirty of the Eighty-four Mahasiddhas. (Himalayan Art Resources / Public domain )
Nagarjuna and His Tenuous Connections with Nagarjunakonda
Little is known of Nagarjuna’s personal life. According to most historians, he was active in the southern part of India sometime in the second century AD. Buddhist tradition says that he lived 400 years after the Buddha attained Nirvana. However, tradition also says that he lived for 600 years, apparently possibly confusing him with a later Nagarjuna, who wrote esoteric Tantric Buddhist texts.
It was the philosophy of the first Nagarjuna, with whom the Nagarjunakonda site is associated, that was extremely influential and shaped Eastern philosophical discourse for almost a thousand years.
Nagarjuna was a Mahayana Buddhist best known for his madhyamaka (middle way) philosophy of sunyata or emptiness. His writings, particularly the Mulamadhyamakakarika (Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way), the most famous of his expositions of the concept of emptiness, inspired many commentaries in Chinese, Tibetan, Japanese and Korean Buddhism. A specific reading of his thought, the Prāsaṅgika-Madhyamaka, is still the official position of the Tibetan school.
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Evidently, Nagarjuna existed. But his own philosophy of emptiness would deny his existence while denying his non-existence too! He taught that ignorance is the source of all suffering through their belief in svabhava, which can be “translated” to mean one’s own being, one’s intrinsic existence, or self-nature. It is the belief that things exist autonomously and permanently. To believe in these illusions means one has a fallacious belief in the permanence of things. Equally fallacious is to believe in the opposite extreme of annihilation, which means nothing in fact exists. The true nature of reality is emptiness, which means the absence not of existence but of intrinsic existence.
Scenes from the Buddha’s life carved in greyish limestone during the Ikshvaku dynasty in the 3rd century AD, which was found at the original Nagarjunakonda site. (Rabe! / CC BY-SA 4.0 )
The Accidental Discovery and Water Rescue of Nagarjunakonda
In 1926, a local schoolteacher stumbled across an ancient pillar at the site in Andhra Pradesh and reported his find to the government, which soon established the archaeological potential of Nagarjunakonda. A French archaeologist made the first discoveries in 1926. A more sustained effort from 1927 to 1931 by a team of English archaeologists uncovered the ruins of several Buddhist stupas and chaityas, as well as other monuments and sculptures. Another excavation in 1938 found more monuments.
In 1954, with the site and its relics threatened by the building of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, a six-year-long excavation rescue project dug up and shifted most of the monuments to the current site and to mainland. Almost all the important relics and artifacts were salvaged.
Nagarjunakonda’s Stunning Archaeological Bounty
The current Nagarjunakonda island site in the Krishna River houses some original remains, a few relocated monuments from the flooded valley, an amphitheater, and a museum containing sculptures and inscriptions from the site’s nearly 2,000 years of history.
Although the oldest reconstructed monuments here are megaliths marking burial sites that belong to around 200 BC, most of Nagarjunakonda (then Vijaypuri) is said to have been built in the second century AD.
The site served as the capital for the Buddhist Ishkvaku kings from the third to the fourth century AD.
Nagarjunakonda or Vijaypuri was set in a valley surrounded on three sides by the Nallamalai Range that opened onto the Krishna River which joined with the open sea. This allowed the Ishkvakus to send Buddhist missions to Sri Lanka , Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, and China.
Later, in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Bahmani, Vijayanagara and Gajapati kings took an interest in Nagarjunakonda. The region came under the rule of the Qutb Shahi dynasty and later the Mughals and was gifted in charity to a matha, a Hindu monastery, in the late 16th century. When the archaeological discoveries were made there, Nagarjunakonda was still a secluded valley with a small village.
An elegantly carved Buddha statue (a replica) from the Nagarjunakonda site. ( cascoly2 / Adobe Stock)
Buddhist Monuments at Nagarjunakonda
At its peak, Nagarjunakonda had more than 30 monasteries and was the largest Buddhist center in the southern part of India. The site’s great stupa or Maha Chaitya is the earliestmonument with a dated inscription at the site. Originally built in the pre-Ishkvaku period, it was refurbished with public funding in the second century AD by an Ishkvaku king. Remarkably, more than 90 per cent of the donors were women. Tradition has it that the Chaitya holds an original bone fragment of the Buddha. The relic was found inside a gold reliquary placed amid gold flowers in a small silver stupa. It was encased in pottery and was embellished with pearls, garnets, and crystal.
The Swastika Chaitya has bricks arranged in the shape of a swastika. In Buddhism, a swastika symbolizes the footprints of the Buddha. There is also a footprint at the site of the Mahaviharavasin monastery, which is believed to be a reproduction of that of the Buddha.
A replica of a larger-than-life-size Buddha statue towers over present-day Nagarjunakonda, with the original placed in the museum. Along with the reliefs at the site depicting scenes from the Buddha’s life, the statue signals the overwhelmingly Buddhist character of the site. The reliefs though are not as fine as the ones at the nearby and slightly earlier Amaravati Stupa.
A relief of the Greek God Dionysus dating to the3rd century AD found at the Nagarjunakonda Dionysus Palace site. (A. H. Longhurst / Public domain )
The Site’s Hindu Ruins and Other Historical Finds
The Hindu temples at Nagarjunakonda are mostly Shaivite and belong to a later period. However, at least one temple, carrying a 278 AD inscription, can be identified as Vaishnavite, based on the image of an eight-armed god. Two temples have statues of Shiva’s elder son Kartikeya (Murugan), and a large sculpture of Devi has also been found.
There are three 15th-century temples, of which the Nageshvaralinga Temple was founded by a Gajapati king. The other two were Jain temples that were later converted to Vaishnavite shrines by the Vijaynagara king Krishnadevaraya.
The palaces of the Ishkavakus have not been unearthed but remains of a citadel, barracks, stables, and cisterns were found. Two of these that have been reconstructed, a plastered brick tank and a tortoise-shaped tank, are believed to have been used for the Ashvamedha ceremony of the first Ikshvaku king Vasishthiputra Chamtamula. The Ashvamedha was a declaration of might by a king in which he allowed his horse to wander for a year, inviting the kings of other territories to either challenge him by stopping the horse or else to accept his authority.
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Roman coins found at the site attest to trade with the Roman Empire and some reliefs and sculptures point to Greco-Roman influence. Reliefs and an inscription also show some Scythian influence.
While the jury’s still out on whether Nagarjuna indeed developed, wrote, and taught his philosophy in the monastic universities of Nagarjunakonda or Vijaypuri, the existence of Buddhist learning centers at the site is undeniable. After becoming the capital of the Buddhist Ishkvaku kings in the early third century AD, it continued to flourish until the 16th century.
Top image: An ancient Buddhist statue (a replica) amidst the ruins of a rescued Buddhist monastery at Nagarjunakonda, India. Source: Ms Sarah Welch / CC0
By Sahir Pandey
References
Amit Mahajan. 2017. A Quick Guide to Nagarjunakonda: All you need to know about the stunning Buddhist site . Available at: https://www.outlookindia.com/outlooktraveller/explore/story/60186/quick-guide-nagarjunakonda. Accessed on 29. 08. 2022
AP Tourism. Nagarjunakonda. Available at: https://aptourism.gov.in/destinations/25/nagarjunakonda. Accessed on 29. 08. 2022
Encyclopaedia Britannica. Nagarjuna: Buddhist philosopher . Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nagarjuna. Accessed on 29. 08. 2022
Encyclopaedia Britannica. Nagarjunakonda: City and archaeological site, India . Available at: https://www.britannica.com/place/Nagarjunakonda. Accessed on 29. 08. 2022
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Revised 2022. Nāgārjuna. Available at: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nagarjuna/#toc. Accessed on 29. 08. 2022
Wikipedia. Nagarjunakonda. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagarjunakonda. Accessed on 29. 08. 2022
Wikipedia. Nagarjuna. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagarjuna. Accessed on 29. 08. 2022
FAQs
What is the ancient name of Nagarjunakonda? ›
The 3rd–4th-century inscriptions discovered there make it clear that it was known as "Vijayapuri" in the ancient period: the name "Nagarjunakonda" dates from the medieval period.
In which state is Nagarjunakonda one of the ancient Stone Age centers located? ›Nagarjunakonda, archaeological site in western Andhra Pradesh state, southern India, consisting of an island in Nagarjuna Sagar, a reservoir created by damming the Krishna River there.
Which dynasty founded the city of Nagarjunakonda? ›The story goes that most of Nagarjunakonda (then Vijayapuri) was built in the 100 years the Ikshvaku dynasty ruled the Krishna basin. Vijayapuri then was hemmed in from three sides by the Nallamalai Range; the valley opened onto the Krishna River, then navigable right up to the sea.
On which river is the Nagarjuna Sagar project located? ›World's largest masonry dam protected with 26 gates measuring 124.663m in height , Nagarjunasagar Dam located in Nalgonda District is built across River Krishna. The dam has a storage capacity of nearly 11,472 million cubic meters with an irrigation capacity for 9.81 lac acres of land.
Who built Amaravati Stupa? ›Amaravati Stupa dates back around 2000 years, between the 3rd century BC and 2nd century BC. It was built during the reign of Ashoka the Great of the Mauryan dynasty, who himself constructed a vast number of Buddhist monuments across the Indian subcontinent.
Who first discovered the Nagarjunakonda fossils? ›Answer- The excavators of Great Britain first discovered these Nagarjunakonda Fossils.
What is the Speciality of Laghnej and Nagarjunakonda? ›It is 160 km west of another important historic site Amaravati Stupa. The ruins of several Mahayana Buddhist and Hindu shrines are located at Nagarjunakonda. Bones of wild animals dating back to the Mesolithic period (2550-2185 BCE) have been excavated from sites in Langhnaj.
In which district is Nagarjunakonda located? ›Nagarjuna Konda, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh | Film Facilitation Office. Nagarjunakonda an island and a historical town located near Nagarjuna Sagar in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. It is 160 km west of another important historic site Amaravati Stupa.
Where is Nagarjunakonda caves? ›The historical town of Nagarjunakonda is situated near Nagarjuna Sagar in the district of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. It is located 160 km west of the famous Amaravati Stupa.
Which state is Kurnool caves? ›Last January, she decided to pay a visit to the famous Kurnool caves in Andhra Pradesh, a state of Southern India.
In which age the stupa of nagarjun was built? ›
The stupa of Nagarjun was built in the 3rd century.
The stupa of Nagarjun is located in the town of Nagarjunakonda which situated in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.
How to reach Nagarjunakonda by flight. Vijayawada is the nearest airport situated at a distance of around 65 km. It receives frequent flights from all the major cities. Another nearby airport is the Hyderabad airport, which is around 165 km from Nagarajunakonda.
Which is the largest dam of India? ›| # | Name | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tehri Dam | Uttarakhand |
| 2 | Lakhwar Dam | Uttarakhand |
| 3 | Idukki (Eb)/Idukki Arch Dam | Kerala |
| 4 | Bhakra Dam | Himachal Pradesh |
| # | Name | Length (m) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ahobilam / Penna Ahobilam (Dr. K.S.P.A.B.R.) Dam | 2060 |
| 2 | Akkapalem Dam | 433 |
| 3 | Alaganoor Dam | |
| 4 | Ananthasagarm Dam | 3500 |
Nalgonda: Left canal of Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) breached at 32.109 mile stone near Vempadu of Nidmanoor mandal in the district late on Wednesday, forcing authorities to stop release of water into the canal.
Where is the largest Buddha stupa of India? ›About: The stupa is said to be the tallest and the largest Buddhist stupa in the world. It is located in Kesariya, at a distance of 110 kilometers from Patna, in the East Champaran district of Bihar. It has a circumference of almost 400 feet and stands at a height of about 104 feet.
What is the old name of Amaravathi? ›The ancient name of Amravati is “Udumbravati”, prakrut form of this is “Umbravati” and “Amravati” is known for many centuries with this name. The mispronunciation form of this is Amravati and now the Amravati is known with the same. It is said that Amravati is named for its ancient Ambadevi temple.
Which is the oldest stupa? ›The "Great Stupa" at Sanchi is the oldest structure and was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the Great of the Maurya Empire in the 3rd century BCE.
Where is Nagarjuna Sagar dam located in India map? ›| Nagarjuna Sagar Dam | |
|---|---|
| Nagarjuna Sagar Dam | |
| Location of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam in Andhra Pradesh | |
| Location | Nalgonda district, Telangana and Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh |
| Coordinates | 16°34′32″N 79°18′42″E |
Samudragupta was a Hindu ruler. He never followed Buddhism. He believed in the Orthodox Hindu System and Brahmanical system of worship.
Is Nagarjuna Sagar dam open for visitors? ›
Nagarjuna Sagar Dam can be visited during timings 9:00 AM – 11:45 PM and 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM.
How can I reach Nagarjuna Sagar from Hyderabad? ›...
Itinerary of Nagarjuna Sagar Sightseeing Tour from Hyderabad.
| S.No | Sightseeing Place | Recommended Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Nagarjunakonda | 120 minutes |
| 3 | Ethipothala waterfalls | 90 minutes |
| 4 | Anupa | 60 minutes |
...
| Nalgonda district | |
|---|---|
| • Vidhan Sabha constituencies | 6 assembly seats |
| Area https://nalgonda.telangana.gov.in/about-district/ | |
| • Total | 7,122 km2 (2,750 sq mi) |
Original Nalgonda district will split into three district -- Nalgonda, Suryapet and Yadadri. While most people believe that the division of districts is good for the people as well for easy governance, others think that the division should not take on political tones.
How many doors were there in Karle Chaitya? ›The entrance, consists of three doorways under a gallery, one leading to the center, and one to each of the side-aisles; and over the gallery the whole end of the hall is open, as in all chaitya halls, forming one great window, through which all the light is admitted.
Who is king of Kurnool? ›King Achyuta Raya, successor of Sri Krishnadeva Raya constructed the Kurnool Fort during the 16th century.
What is the longest cave in India? ›Meghalaya's caves have begun to attract explorers from all over the world. The hills are home to India's longest general cave - the 31.1km-long Liat Prah limestone cave system.
Who is Nawab of Kurnool? ›Rasool Khan, the Nawab of Kurnool who came to the throne in 1823 at the age of 18, had an in born hatred for the presence of the English in the Page 2 Modern India 748 country.
What is Ayaka Pillar? ›“It is an Ayaka pillar (one of five pillars usually erected on the four cardinal directions) of a Buddhist Stupa built during the 1st Century AD on the stylistic features of the pillar carved out of Palnadu limestone,” said Dr. Sivanagi Reddy after examining the artefact.
What is the difference between Chaitya and Vihara? ›
Viharas were for the purpose of living, Chaityas were assemblies for the purpose of discussions. Further, Chaityas were with Stupas, Viharas did not have stupas. Both early Chaityas and Viharas were made by woods and later stone-cut Chaityas and Viharas were made.
Which is oldest dam in India? ›Kallanai Dam built across the Kaveri river of Tamil Nadu is the oldest dam (first dam) in India. It is also known as the Grand Anicut.
Which is the smallest dam in India? ›| Cheruthoni Dam | |
|---|---|
| Impounds | Periyar River |
| Height | 138.2 m (453 ft) |
| Length | 650.9 m (2,135 ft) |
| Dam volume | 17,00,000 cu.m |
World's Tallest Dam
Currently, the tallest dam in the world is Nurek Dam on the Vakhsh River in Tajikistan. It is 984 feet (300 meters) tall. Hoover Dam is 726.4 feet (221.3 meters) tall.
Maharashtra has the maximum number of large dams in the country (1845) followed by Madhya Pradesh (905) and Gujarat (666).
Which dam is largest in Telangana? ›A site to behold when its gates are opened during peak flood season in Monsoon, Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is considered one of largest dams built in the recent times in Asia. As the tallest masonry dam, Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is also the pride of India. The project has catchment area of roughly 215000 sq.km.
Which dam has more gates in India? ›...
Major Dams in India.
| List Of Major Dams in India | State | River |
|---|---|---|
| Sardar Sarovar Dam | Gujarat | Narmada |
| Nagarjuna Sagar Dam | Telangana | Krishna |
| Hirakud dam | Odisha | Mahanadi |
The largest masonry dam in the World is Nagarjunasagar Dam , Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, in India.
What is Taxila famous for? ›Taxila, however, is most famous for ruins of several settlements, the earliest dating from around 1000 BCE. It is also known for its collection of Buddhist religious monuments, including the Dharmarajika stupa, the Jaulian monastery, and the Mohra Muradu monastery.
What is Speciality of Langhnaj and Nagarjunakonda? ›It is 160 km west of another important historic site Amaravati Stupa. The ruins of several Mahayana Buddhist and Hindu shrines are located at Nagarjunakonda. Bones of wild animals dating back to the Mesolithic period (2550-2185 BCE) have been excavated from sites in Langhnaj.
In which state is Paiyampalli? ›
Paiyampalli is a village in Tirupattur taluk of Tirupattur district in Tamil Nadu, India. It is located 5 km east of Barugur and 8 km west of Natrampalli. It is known for the excavation site in the region which has remains of Neolithic and Megalithic periods.
Where is Nagarjunakonda caves? ›The historical town of Nagarjunakonda is situated near Nagarjuna Sagar in the district of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. It is located 160 km west of the famous Amaravati Stupa.
Who destroyed Taxila? ›When these routes ceased to be important, the city sank into insignificance and was finally destroyed by the Huns in the 5th century ce.
Who burned Nalanda? ›In 1193, the Nalanda University was destroyed by the Islamic fanatic Bakhtiyar Khilji, a Turk; this event is seen by scholars as a late milestone in the decline of Buddhism in India.
Who destroyed Taxila in Hindi? ›Kidara Huns, who invaded Takshashila, destroyed the university in 5th century.
How can I reach Nagarjunakonda? ›How to reach Nagarjunakonda by flight. Vijayawada is the nearest airport situated at a distance of around 65 km. It receives frequent flights from all the major cities. Another nearby airport is the Hyderabad airport, which is around 165 km from Nagarajunakonda.
In which district is Nagarjunakonda located? ›Nagarjuna Konda, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh | Film Facilitation Office. Nagarjunakonda an island and a historical town located near Nagarjuna Sagar in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. It is 160 km west of another important historic site Amaravati Stupa.
Where is Nagarjuna Sagar dam located in India map? ›| Nagarjuna Sagar Dam | |
|---|---|
| Nagarjuna Sagar Dam | |
| Location of Nagarjuna Sagar Dam in Andhra Pradesh | |
| Location | Nalgonda district, Telangana and Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh |
| Coordinates | 16°34′32″N 79°18′42″E |
The site of Koldihwa (of 6,500 B.C.) provided the earliest evidence for the domestication of rice. It is the oldest evidence of rice cultivation in any part of the world. The agriculture in the Belan valley began around 6,500 B.C. Besides rice, cultivation of barley was also attested at Mahgara.
What is hallur famous for? ›This site also produced some of the earliest evidence for crops of African origin in South India, including both hyacinth bean and pearl millet. In the later Iron Age period finger millet, kodo millet, and rice Ornaments made of carnelian, ceramic, gold and antler were also found.
What is the meaning of the name Gufkral? ›
Gufkral ('guf' means cave and 'kral' means potter) is a site inhabited by potters who utilize the caves. Caves and archeological site are located at Banmir village in tahsil town of Tral in the Pulwama District of Jammu and Kashmir State.
Which state is Kurnool caves? ›Last January, she decided to pay a visit to the famous Kurnool caves in Andhra Pradesh, a state of Southern India.
In which age the stupa of nagarjun was built? ›The stupa of Nagarjun was built in the 3rd century.
The stupa of Nagarjun is located in the town of Nagarjunakonda which situated in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.
The entrance, consists of three doorways under a gallery, one leading to the center, and one to each of the side-aisles; and over the gallery the whole end of the hall is open, as in all chaitya halls, forming one great window, through which all the light is admitted.