THE ANTIQUITY OF AMARAVATI AND DHARANIKOTA dates back to the prehistoric times when man was in the most primitive stage of his existence. Tools used by him then were made primarily of stone, and such Early Stone Age artefacts like handaxes. Cleavers, discoid’s, scrapers and so on put to various practical uses, from Dharanikota in the course of explorations. That the area attracted the neolithic people too is evident from stray discovery of polished stone-axes.
A few urn-burials of the megalithic culture referred to earlier were discovered by Rea below one of the smaller stupas. In fact, in the region between Guntur and Amaravati, megalithic burials are noticed, specially near the foot of the hill-ranges at places like Lam, Motadaka, Nemalipuram etc. Significantly, the lowest levels of Dharanikota and the maha-chaitya site yielded material belonging to the same megalithic culture. It may, there¬fore, reasonably be postulated that the megalith-builders forming a large community occupied an extensive area in the region before the introduction of Buddhism there.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
AMARAVATI BUDDHA STUPA - DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATIONS
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SITE OF THE MAHA-CHAITYA AT Amaravati, known locally as Dipaladinne ( “Hill of Lamps” ),was realized by Colonel Colin Mackenzie as early as 1797. A year earlier, a local landlord had changed his residence from Chintapalli to Amaravati, and laid the foundation of the modern township around the Amaresvara temple. Many people, at his invitation, settled in the area, and the building activity that ensued thereafter led to the spoliation of several mounds yielding large-sized bricks and lime-stone slabs. The Dipaladinne did not escape the landlord's eyes: it was ransacked for suspected treasures and also perhaps for building material. At the time of the digging of the mound, some sculptured slabs came to light and the news reached Mackenzie, who at once paid a brief visit to the place. He cor-rectly assessed at that time the potentiality of the mound of some 90 feet (27 43 m) in diameter and a height of about 20 feet (6.09 m). Mackenzie re-visited the place, in 1818, with aband of as¬sistants for preparing detailed drawings of the site and the monu¬ment. A few sculptured pieces were also recovered by him.
After Mackenzie's discovery of the maha-chaitya site, several European officials took interest in collecting sculptures from Amaravati. Some attempts were also made to excavate the stupa : in 1845, Sir Walter Smith dug the south-west part of the mound and recovered a few sculptured pieces. Towards the close of this century, scholars like Robert Sewell (in 1877), James Burgess (in 1881) and and Alexander Rea (in 1888-89) made attempts to excavate and record the sculptured stones systematically. Rea-conducted two more operations -one in 1905-6 and 1908-9. The last operation introduced a new element in the history of the site by uncovering remains of megaliths ascribable to a period prior to the construction of the maha-chaitya .Also he laid bare a few minor stupas and some bronze images .Yet the potentiality of the site, though considerably spoilt was not exhausted. As a matter of fact, the recent operation during the year 1958-59, under R. Subrahmanyam and K. Krishna Murthy of the Archaeological Survey, brought to view a large number of inscribed architectural pieces, sculptured fragments, reliquar¬ies and other minor antiquities including sculptures and reliefs ascribable to the medieval times. Some more inscribed and sculptured slabs were exposed in an excavation carried out by I.K. Sharma in 1973-74 at a site close to the maha-chaitya. The lowest stratum yielded both Black-and-red Ware and the North¬ern Black Polished Ware.
During the D wadasa Varsha Pushkaram of the river Krishna, which fell in the year 1980, some improvements were attended to the Amaresvara temple in Amaravati. A deep trench was cut for the construction of the eastern gopura inside the premises of the temple. During excavation, a broken mithuna figure, a bull and an ornamental pillar capital all carved on limestone
With exquisite carvings were found. These were mended and now exhibited in the Museum.
Dhanyakataka, the fortified capital of the Satavahanas ,was also excavated during the years 1962-65 by M.Venkataramaya and K. Raghavachary, and it revealed five periods of occupation of the site. On the basis of Radio-carbon dates, one may easily date the beginning of settlement there to the fifth century B.C.Sculptures from the maha-chaitya site are distributed over several museums, the bulk being housed in the Madras Government Museum, Madras, and the British Museum, London. Originally, the collection, in the Amaravati Museum, comprised those left at the site by Burgess and Rea in a temporary sculpture-shed. It was now been augmented by the finds brought to light in the excavation carried out in 1958-59. In addition, there are a few antiquities from Alluru, Gurnmadidurru and Lingarajapalli.
After Mackenzie's discovery of the maha-chaitya site, several European officials took interest in collecting sculptures from Amaravati. Some attempts were also made to excavate the stupa : in 1845, Sir Walter Smith dug the south-west part of the mound and recovered a few sculptured pieces. Towards the close of this century, scholars like Robert Sewell (in 1877), James Burgess (in 1881) and and Alexander Rea (in 1888-89) made attempts to excavate and record the sculptured stones systematically. Rea-conducted two more operations -one in 1905-6 and 1908-9. The last operation introduced a new element in the history of the site by uncovering remains of megaliths ascribable to a period prior to the construction of the maha-chaitya .Also he laid bare a few minor stupas and some bronze images .Yet the potentiality of the site, though considerably spoilt was not exhausted. As a matter of fact, the recent operation during the year 1958-59, under R. Subrahmanyam and K. Krishna Murthy of the Archaeological Survey, brought to view a large number of inscribed architectural pieces, sculptured fragments, reliquar¬ies and other minor antiquities including sculptures and reliefs ascribable to the medieval times. Some more inscribed and sculptured slabs were exposed in an excavation carried out by I.K. Sharma in 1973-74 at a site close to the maha-chaitya. The lowest stratum yielded both Black-and-red Ware and the North¬ern Black Polished Ware.
During the D wadasa Varsha Pushkaram of the river Krishna, which fell in the year 1980, some improvements were attended to the Amaresvara temple in Amaravati. A deep trench was cut for the construction of the eastern gopura inside the premises of the temple. During excavation, a broken mithuna figure, a bull and an ornamental pillar capital all carved on limestone
With exquisite carvings were found. These were mended and now exhibited in the Museum.
Dhanyakataka, the fortified capital of the Satavahanas ,was also excavated during the years 1962-65 by M.Venkataramaya and K. Raghavachary, and it revealed five periods of occupation of the site. On the basis of Radio-carbon dates, one may easily date the beginning of settlement there to the fifth century B.C.Sculptures from the maha-chaitya site are distributed over several museums, the bulk being housed in the Madras Government Museum, Madras, and the British Museum, London. Originally, the collection, in the Amaravati Museum, comprised those left at the site by Burgess and Rea in a temporary sculpture-shed. It was now been augmented by the finds brought to light in the excavation carried out in 1958-59. In addition, there are a few antiquities from Alluru, Gurnmadidurru and Lingarajapalli.
AMARAVATI BUDDHA STUPA -GENERAL INFORMATION
oF THE BUDDHIST SITES IN INDIA, AMARAVATI (Lat. 16° 34'N; Long. 80 17' E), on the right bank of the river Krishna, occupies a pre-eminent position in the history of Indian art. It is situated about 35 km to the north of the town of Guntur, which is the head-quarters of the District of the same name, In Andhra Pradesh, besides being the nearest railway-station. Government transport buses ply regularly between Guntur and Amaravati. Moreover, during the rainy season and winter, Amaravati can be reached by launches from Vijayawada along the river Krishna.
The excavated stupa-site and the Archaeological Museum are the main attractions here, the former being located close to the Archaeological Museum. The place is famous also as a pilgrim's centre on account of the location of the Amareswara temple, which gives the present name to the locality. Its neighboring village Dharanikota was the actual site of the ancie.It Dhanyakataka, the capital of the later Satavahanas. Visitors who intend to have an overnight halt at the town may reserve accommodation by prior application, in the rest-houses situated near the Amareswara temple and the Bus station which are maintained by the Manager, Tourism Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati, District Guntur.
Guide books and picture postcards published by the Archaeological Survey of India are sold at the counter of the Museum which remains open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while photographs of sites and exhibits can be had on payment from the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India,janpath,New Delhi-110001.
The excavated stupa-site and the Archaeological Museum are the main attractions here, the former being located close to the Archaeological Museum. The place is famous also as a pilgrim's centre on account of the location of the Amareswara temple, which gives the present name to the locality. Its neighboring village Dharanikota was the actual site of the ancie.It Dhanyakataka, the capital of the later Satavahanas. Visitors who intend to have an overnight halt at the town may reserve accommodation by prior application, in the rest-houses situated near the Amareswara temple and the Bus station which are maintained by the Manager, Tourism Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati, District Guntur.
Guide books and picture postcards published by the Archaeological Survey of India are sold at the counter of the Museum which remains open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., while photographs of sites and exhibits can be had on payment from the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India,janpath,New Delhi-110001.
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