5/5 Bhimavarapu Ravi Chandra R. 6 years ago on Google
The
Buddhist
Arama
in
Ghantasala,
a
village
65
kms.
away
from
Vijayawada
town
in
Krishna
district
was
a
prosperous
sea
-
borne
trade
center
and
a
port
town
first
reported
by
Boswell(1870-71).
It
is
located
20
kms.
away
from
Machilipatnam
railway
station.
Several
mounds
locally
known
as
Yennammapadu,
Kotadibba,
yielded
fragments
of
a
sila
Mandapa,
inscribed
slabs,
ayaka
pillars
and
Buddha
images,
along
with
Satavahana
and
Roman
coins.
A
hoard
of
Kshatrapa
coins
was
also
reported
from
this
place,
now
kept
in
the
state
Museum,
Hyderabad.
According
to
an
inscription
Upasika
Bodhisiri,
wife
of
a
Mahanavika
(Master
Mariner)
donated
an
ayaka
Stambha
to
the
Mahachaitya
and
built
a
Silamandapa
at
the
eastern
gate
of
the
Mahachaitya
at
kantakasaila
(Ghantasala)during
the
Ikshvaku
times
3rd
century
A.D
The
mound
(112mts
dia
and
23ft.
high)was
first
excavated
by
A.
Rea,
which
brought
to
light
the
structural
remnants
of
a
Mahachaitya.
The
plan
of
the
Stupa
is
very
interesting
,
as
it
resembles
in
plan
those
of
the
Stupas
of
Bhattiprolu
and
Nagarjuna
konda,
built
on
wheel
shape
with
ayaka
platforms
and
pradakshinapatha.
The
occurrence
of
fragments
of
limestone
panels,
such
as
coping
stones
and
railing
pillars,
decorated
with
garland-
bearing
dwarfs
around
the
Stupa
now
displayed
in
the
site
Museum
suggests
that
the
Stupa
was
enclosed
with
railing
like
the
Stupa
of
Amaravathi.
Recent
excavations
brought
to
light
several
lime
stone
panels
depicting
the
great
events
of
Buddhas
life
and
Jataka
stories
representing
Mandhata,
Chmpeyya,
Sibi
and
Vessantara.
The
site
is
datable
to
the
1st
century
B.C-
3rd
Century
A.D.
based
on
the
inscriptions
of
the
early
Satavahanas
and
the
Ikshvakus.
Antiquities
and
Buddhist
sculptural
panels
recovered
from
Ghantasala
excavations
are
displayed
in
the
Site
Museum.
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