Nagarjunakonda
Topic: Early Indian Art and Architecture: Stupas, Rock-cut Caves, Temples · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Nagarjunakonda was a major Buddhist centre in the Krishna valley, Andhra Pradesh. It flourished under the Ikshvaku kings in about the 3rd century CE. It had many stupas, monasteries and carved marble-like limestone panels. When the Nagarjunasagar dam was built, the valley was flooded. Before that, many monuments were moved to higher ground. The site matters for southern Buddhist art and for the support of Ikshvaku royal women for Buddhism.
Example
Today, the rebuilt monuments and a museum stand on an island in the Nagarjunasagar reservoir. The original valley lies under water.
Don't confuse with
- Amaravati: a nearby stupa site in Andhra Pradesh. Its sculptures were taken to Madras, Calcutta and London in colonial times; they were not moved because of a dam.
Related concepts
- Stupa
- Donations to stupas
- Sanchi stupa
- Bharhut stupa
- Amaravati stupa
- Deorkothar stupas
- Kesariya stupa
- Bhattiprolu stupa
- Kanaganahalli
- Diamond Triangle of Odisha