5/5 Saikiran C. 3 years ago on Google
There
is
a
winding
road
branching
off
National
Highway
16
near
Anakapalle
that
leads
to
the
twin
Buddhist
sites
of
Bojjannakonda
and
Lingalakonda,
built
between
the
4th
and
9th
centuries.
Perched
on
adjacent
hilltops,
the
broken
pillars,
and
the
remnants
of
walls
and
doorways
are
fringed
by
paddy
fields.
There
is
only
a
small
sign
that
points
you
in
their
direction
through
a
road
full
of
pot
holes.
The
path
is
just
a
preview
of
what
awaits
the
visitor.
The
site
is
in
a
shambles.
Statues
are
defaced,
there
is
graffiti
on
the
walls
of
the
caves,
and
everywhere
one
turns,
the
disrespect
for
heritage
and
hallowed
buildings
is
evident
in
the
scrawls
on
the
walls
and
the
vandalised
statues.
Still,
these
sites
receive
hundreds
of
tourists,
not
just
locally,
but
also
from
elsewhere
in
the
country
and
abroad.
These
sites
are
among
the
most
important
Buddhist
sites
in
South
Asia,
as
they
feature
elements
from
three
schools
of
Buddhism,
namely
Hinayana,
Mahayana
and
Vajrayana.
This
is
evident
from
the
different
styles
of
sculpture
and
inscriptions,”
explains
Jayashree
Hatangadi,
a
chronicler
who
conducts
heritage
walks
here.
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