Four Stūpa Sites in Andhradesa
high-definition creative commons photographs from stūpa sites at Ghaṇṭaśālā, Bhaṭṭiproḷu, Jaggayyapēṭa and Kottūru, together with further information.
Ghaṇṭaśālā
The Ghaṇṭaśālā Mahā Stūpa lies on the left hand side of the Krishna river, inland around 12km, and virtually opposite to the Bhaṭṭiproḷu stūpa which is on the right hand side. It was measured at around 112ft in diametre, and an assumed 23ft high. The land around it had risen over the years, and it is now stood in a shallow pit.
The assumed shape of the stūpa,
diagram by Alexander Rea
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to navigate through the photos below
There is a museum run by the Archeological Survey of India at Ghaṇṭaśālā. We were able to take photographs of the artifacts lying around outside the museum, but were forbidden to take photos inside.
Bhaṭṭiproḷu
The Bhaṭṭiproḷu Mahā Stūpa lies on the right hand side of the Krishna river. It is thought to be one of the earliest sites, dating to the 3rd-2nd centuries BCE. It was larger than the Ghaṇṭaśālā Mahā Stūpa, being around 148ft in diameter, and an assumed 40ft in height. Important relic caskets were discovered here. The Brahmi-type script that was used for the inscriptions here is unique and is named after the site.
Jaggayyapēṭa
The Stūpa at Jaggayyapēṭa is another early construction, probably from around the 2nd century BCE. The stūpa is smaller than the previous two. On the day we visited the site was closed and was hard of access. It really seemed to have been abandoned. We accessed the site by climbing over the fence.
Kottūru
At Kottūru there is a Mahā Stūpa, and further up the hill, there is a small excavated cave complex. There are apparently also vihāras at the site, but they may have been overgrown, as we didn't see them.
Photographs by Anandajoti Bhikkhu
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