Nagarjunakonda Museum, Andhra Pradesh

high-definition creative commons photographs from Nagarjunakonda Museum, Andhra Pradesh together with further information.

 

use j/k or left/right arrow
to navigate through the photos below

The Nagarjunakonda (Nāgārjunakoṇḍā) Museum is a treasure trove of ancient Indian heritage located in Andhra Pradesh, near the town of Nagarjuna Sagar. This museum serves as a testament to the rich history and cultural significance of the Nagarjunakonda region, an archaeological site that was once a flourishing center of Buddhism and early Indian civilization.

The site of Nagarjunakonda, which translates to Nāgārjuna’s Hill, was named after the renowned Buddhist scholar Nāgārjuna, who lived in the 2nd century CE. It was a major hub of Buddhist learning. However, the construction of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam in the mid-20th century resulted in the submergence of much of this ancient site under the reservoir in what was one of the great destructions of Buddhist history ever seen.

To preserve its heritage, archaeologists did manage to relocate several monuments and artifacts to higher ground before the area was submerged. The Nagarjunakonda Museum was established on an island in the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir to house and showcase these salvaged treasures.

It is worthwhile noting that the patrons of the establishments at Nagarjunakonda were not kings or ministers, as was usual for large undertakings, but their wives, the queens and other rich ladies, who seem to have had considerable disposible income, which they used to support the Sāsana.

The museum’s collection includes intricately carved reliefs, some sculptures and inscriptions, that highlight the artistic and cultural achievements of Buddhist India, particularly during the Ikṣvāku dynasty. The reliefs include the Jātaka stories and the Life of the Buddha, and there are many important inscriptions.

General Views

Jātaka Stories

The first of this collection presents the story of how Sumedha made his aspiration to become a Buddha. It is not as logical as we may like, as two scenes from the Buddha’s life are placed in the middle of the main story.

The Campeyya Jātaka was a popular subject of the sculptors. In brief the story is: King Magadha, fleeing defeat by King Aṅga, plunged into the flooded Campā River, preferring drowning to capture. The serpent king Campeyya, dwelling underwater in a jeweled palace, saved and honored him, eventually helping Magadha conquer Aṅga and unite their realms. Later, Campeyya, reincarnated due to his virtuous life, struggled with his snake form. Captured by a snake-charmer, Campeyya endured torment without breaking his precepts. Rescued by his consort Sumanā and King Uggasena, Campeyya hosted them in his opulent palace. Despite worldly splendor, Campeyya upheld his spiritual aspirations, teaching renunciation and virtue’s supremacy. Full Story.

The Mandhātu Jātaka was another popular subject of the sculptors. In brief the story is: Long ago, King Mandhātā was endowed with immense power, wealth, and supernatural abilities, ruling over the earth and even ascending to celestial realms. Despite reigning alongside Sakka in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three for the lifetimes of 36 Sakkas, his insatiable desire for more grew. Craving ultimate power, Mandhātā coveted Sakka's throne but failed. His merit waned, and he fell back to earth, aged and weary, eventually dying in a park. Before his death, he declared his extraordinary reign and the futility of desire. Full Story.

Various other Jātakas are illustrated below. The stories can be found by visiting The Revised Jātaka Translation.

The Life of the Buddha

The Life of the Buddha provided much inspiration for the sculptors at Nāgārjunakoṇḍa, as elsewhere. The main events: birth, seeing the signs and the renunciation, the Awakening, the First Teaching of the Dharmacakra and the passing away are commonly shown; but also his taming of the yakṣas Āḷavaka and Apalāla, and of Aṅgulimāla can be seen on the reliefs.

Iconography and Stūpas

The following photographs show some of the iconography that was popular with the sculptors, inluding the elaborate stūpas and their motifs, and various other motifs, including the 5- and 7-headed Nāgas.

Pillars and Inscriptions

There are many pillars and inscriptions in the museum. They don't always photograph well, so I show only a limited number here. These are followed by a few in-the-round sculptures of the Buddha and others.

Out on Exhibition

The following items were part of the Tree and Serpent exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum at the time of my visit, the photograghs were taken by Leow Chai Yee, and edited by myself, and form part of that collection, elsewhere on this website.

 

Photographs by Anandajoti Bhikkhu

About this Website

Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License