Reconstructed Nagarjunakonda Remains at Anupu, Andhra Pradesh
high-definition creative commons photographs from the Reconstructed Nagarjunakonda Remains at Anupu, Andhra Pradesh together with further information.
When the decision was made to go ahead with the Nagarjuna Sagar hydro-electric dam by the Government of India in 1956 the main problem was preserving as much as possible of the historical archeological site of Nagarjunakonda (Nāgārjunakoṇḍā, Nāgārjuna’s Hill), which was going to be submerged by the waters.The site was known as Vijayapurī (City of Victory, or, City of Success) when it was built as their capital city by the Ikṣvāku kings.
From that time onwards archeologists from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) strove to preserve as much as they could by removing the remains from their original site to two different places: The Nāgārjunakoṇḍā Museum houses most of the reliefs and important statues; on the island itself several important structures, like the Simha Vihāra, the Bodhiśrī Chaitya, and a stūpa and cyst.
At the Anupu site, which is on the mainland, opposite the island, a university complex, including stūpas, assembly hall, vihāras and Chaitya; and an amphitheatre and the Hāriti temple were relocated. It is this latter site that is photographed here.
Below is a satellite view showing the placement of the main buildings.
use j/k or left/right arrow
to navigate through the photos below
The University Complex
Most of the ancient universities of ancient India were in fact monastic universities, providing accommodation for students and teachers in Vihāras; and buildings for assembly, teaching and study, as well as religious monuments like stūpas and Chaityas.
The Amphitheatre
The Amphitheatre was typical of Greek and Roman architecture, and was known, for instance, in Gandhāra, but it was atypical in the heartland of India. The Amphitheatre at Anupu is one of the rare examples of this form. Unlike the Greek and Roman Amphitheatres, this one is square in desigen, and would seat around 1,000 people. Above it are some vihāras, whether situated here in the original complex, or not, I am unsure.
The Hāriti Temple
As now, the Hāriti Temple was situated on a small hill above the main site. It is now just a few remaining pillars, and some foundational brickwork. It originally had a statue of Hāritī in it, which was how it was identified.
Photographs by Anandajoti Bhikkhu
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