Presentation By  Dr.E. Sivanagi Reddy  Chief Executive Ocer
 The Cultural Centre of Vijayawada.
 
 
It replaced the animistic beliefs and
became the first organized religion
in the Andhra region
during the life time of the Buddha
Dhamma spread fast after the 3rd
century BC in the Andhra region when
it was part of the Mauryan empire
 
Mahastupas at DhanyakatakaAmara!ati" was
built during his reign
the e!olution of three
to %th  Century AD
systematizer hailed from
considered a later day Buddha
Acharya *agar+una) the great systematiser
of Mahayana tradition) li!ed and enlarged
the Mahastupa at Dhanyakataka
According to the ,ibetan tradition) Buddha !akyamuni  manifested in the form of -alachakra or .heel of ,ime and ga!e teachings on this ,antra to an assembly of innumerable Buddhas) Bodhisatt!as) gods) nagas) yakshas etc/) at the stupa of Dhanyakataka
A good no% of &a'rayana !cul"tures like $aitreya( Heruka( #ara and &a'ra #ara )10th  Century AD *+ere recovered from the e,acavations at Amaravati
&a'rayana Phase
Re-Discovery
• Dhanyakataka – Amaravati, a world famous Buddhist site is situated on the right
 bank of the river Krishna, about 35 kms from the untur and !" kms from
#i$ayawada.
• %olonel %olin &a'ken(ie was the first to visit the site during the year )*+*+- who
 reared the general lan of the &aha'haitya /ir 0alter 1lliot 2)-!5, 4obert
/ewell 2-)**, ames Burgess 2)--) and Ale6ander 4ea 2)--- had e6'avated the
mound artly and re'overed a number of limestone Buddhist s'ultural anels,
some of whi'h were sent to the overnment &useum, %hennai and the British
&useum, 7ondon. 8urther investigations 'ontinued at Amaravati until )++5
during whi'h many s'ultures, ins'ritions and other anti9uities were retrieved.
• Amaravati was named to a newly built townshi around Amareswara :emle by
 
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• :he anti9uity of Amaravati goes ba'k to the rehistori' times as a number
of =aleolithi' > ;eolithi' tools besides megalithi' burials were found in
and around Amaravati.
• :he site was known as Deealadinne 2mound of lams. :he wellfortified
town Dharanikota or Dhanyakataka whi'h flourished as the 'aital 'ity of
the later /atavahana, lies ) km away from the &ahastua towards the west.
• :he /tua at Amaravati was enlarged during the /atavahana eriod 2)st 
'entury B.%. to ?nd 'entury A.D.> renovated during the @kshavahu eriod
23rd 'entury A.D. Dhanyakataka also served as seat of ower to the early
=allavas. @t 'ontinued to be a Budhhist site during the 1astern %halukyan
 eriod.
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  A pillar inscsription dated to circa 0011 A/D/ records the
!isit of the 2alla!a -ing imha!arman to Paramauddha kshetra of Dhanyakataka/ Another pillar epigraph from
Amareshwara temple dated to 00%4) A/D/ of -ota -eta II)
describes the architectural grandeur and sculptural
embellishment of the Mahachaitya as Chaityam atyunnatam yatra nana chitra-!uchitritam in the city of ri
Dhanyakataka which is superior to the city of 5ods/ Another
record issued by Bayyamamba his wife dated to 043& A/D/
refers to the offering of a perpetual lamp to the 5od
Buddha at ridhanyaghati/
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• @t is very interesting to note that an ins'rition at
adaladeniya in Kandy distri't, /rilanka, dated )3!! A.D.
mentions that the renovation works were 'arried out under the
suervision of Dharmakirti, a sthavira of /rilanka, to a two
storeyed image house at Dhanyakataka. :hus it is established
that the 'ity of DhanyakatakaAmaravati flourished till the )! th 
%entury A.D.
Remains of Mahachaitya originally 411 feet in diameter 6 011
feet in height Deepala Dinne" and site museum which
contains Buddha#s relic are worth !isit/
Amaravati-Dhanyakataka $aha !tu"a
3rd Century BC with sculptures
portraying scenes from the life of
Bhagawan and 7ataka ,ales
the heritage
narrati!es and depiction of not only the life and
legends of the Buddha but also the contemporaneous
social life
,he Amara!ati chool of art is one of the three
schools of Buddhist art) the other two being) the
5andhara and Madhura chools
Amara!athi chool of Art 8 ome more 2anels
 
been reco!ered from Amara!ti
 
Kala'hakra &useum
• A=:D% has built a &useum and @nterretation %entre at Amaravati in ).?
a'res of land. :he &useum houses rare Buddhist s'ultures and anti9uities
'olle'ted from )! Buddhist sites of Andhra =radesh.
• :he other 'omonents of the &useum in'lude a restaurant and arking lot
with 'ivi' amenities.
• #isitors 'an also see the saling of Bodhi :ree brought from Buddhagaya
and lanted by is oliness the Dalai 7ama, during the Kala'hakra &aha
/ammelan ?"" in the &useum remises.
 
Dhyana Buddha, Amaravati
• :he Distri't 'olle'tor has allotted land of !."" a'res in e6tent besides the
&andal 4evenue Cffi'er Cffi'e, Amaravati for 'onstru'ting the Dhyana
Buddha ro$e't.
• :his novel ro$e't 'onsists of underground &useum 'um Buddha /tatue in
Dhyana &udhra osition build on the right bank of the river Krishna and very
 
 
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