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Buddhist Architecture of Nagarjunakonda: More than 30 Buddhist establishments came up in the valley within a short span of 100 years. The almost 33 Buddhist sites are actually different monastic units belonging to the different Sects and Schools of Buddhism as can be deduced from the inscriptions and they are named by the scholars as Site-1, Site-2 and so on. Each site generally consists of a stupa built on a square platform, viharas with the courtyard in the centre and chetiyagharas, sometimes one, but mostly two facing each other- one with the stupa inside and the other with the image of the Buddha. Inscriptions have provided the names of at least four Buddhist sects inhabitating the valley and they are the Aparamahāvinaseliyas (Sites 1&9), Bahusrutiyās, (Site-5), Mahisāsaka (Site 7-8) and the Mahāvihāra-vāsin (Site 38). There might have been other sects or sub-sects inhabiting the valley, but their names are not available. Scholars have classified the monastic units very intellectually with the help of architecture and inscriptions. Classification of the monastic units: broadly speaking the Buddhist establishments of Nagarjunakonda 32 may be divided into following five groups . 1-Unit consisting of Stūpa and Chetiyaghara : of the two chetiyagharas enshrined the Buddha icon, the other being meant for a stūpa. 4-Unit consisting of Vihara and Chetiyaghara: There is only one structure under this group, Site-5, which had no stūpa. This site revealed a well-preserved chetiyaghara enshrining a stūpa. 5-Isolated Stūpas: Five examples of stūpas, Sites 15A, 16, 22, 52 and 59, possibly Uddesika in nature, unconnected with any monastery, have come to light at Nagarjunakonda. All save Site-15A had āyakā-platforms in four directions. Further analysis of the units is done according to the architectural elements like the Stupa, Chetiyaghara and the Vihara. Stupas at Nagarjunakonda: The Sites under this group, Sites 6, 7-8, 14, 15, 20, 21, 27, 30, 32A, 32B, 54 and 86.They may be further divided into two sub-groups of monasteries, those having a stūpa with āyakā-platforms [Site-6, 7-8, 14, 20, 21, 30, 32A, 54 and 86] and those having a stūpa without āyakā-platforms [Site 15, 27, and 32B]. 2-Unit consisting of Stūpa, Vihara and chetiyaghara with Stūpa: This group is represented by only eight establishments, Sites-1 (later phase), 5, 23, 26, 28, 43(later phase) and 108. The Sites-5 and 26 had each two chetiyagharas. 3-Unit consisting of Stūpa, Vihara and Chetiyaghara with Buddha-image: There are eight monasteries under this group, Sites-2, 3, 4, 9, 38(later phase), 85, 105 and 106. Of them Site 85 had a double shrine for the image, whereas in other cases only one About thirty-two stūpas have been unearthed in the Nagarjunakonda valley. They can be broadly classified into wheelbased and rubble stūpas. Good number of stūpas at Nagarjunakonda is wheel based, with four āyakā platforms in the four cardinal directions with five ayaka khambas [pillars] on each platform. These features are considered to be typical of the Andhra stūpa architecture. Almost 22 stupas are wheel-based and three stupas are with swastika inside. Rest all the stupas are rubble base. Ideologically, they belonged to three important Buddhist Schools- 33 Theravada , Aparaseliyas (Mahāsanghikās) and Bahusrutiyā. 34 Theravāda Stūpas : About nine Buddhist monastic units may be attributed to the Theravādins in the Nagarjunakonda valley. Out of the nine, three units are supported by inscriptional evidences and the rest six may be identified as belonging to the Theravādins, on the basis of their architectural features. They are Sihalavihāra- Site 43, Mahāvasin or Mahāvihāravāsins- Site 38, Mahisāsaka –Site 7&8, Site 15, Site 20, Site 23, Site 27, Site 32, Site 32B and Site 24. 47
The Stūpas of Bahusrutiyās: Chetiyagharas at Nagarjunakonda: In the Nagarjunakonda valley more than twenty chetiyagharas have been brought to light. They are mostly apsidal with two or three exception which is circular in plan. Chetiyagharas at Nagarjunakonda can also be analyzed as per the existence of chetiyagharas in the monastic units, as done by H Sarkar like • Unit with no chetiyaghara • Unit with chetiyaghara with stūpa inside • Unit with both, chetiyaghara with stūpa and chetiyaghara with image inside. • Unit with chetiyaghara with image inside. The Bahusrutiyās are the second most popular sect in the valley and three establishments of Nagarjunakonda belong to the Bahusrutiyās. They are Site 5, the largest in Nagarjunakonda, Site 32 A and Site 26. Unit with no chetiyaghara: Apārāmahāvinaseliyas Stūpas: As indicated by the inscriptional evidences the Aparasailas are the most significant of the Buddhist sects of Nagarjunakonda valley. There are about five establishments, which can be definitely being attributed to them. They are Site 1, the Mahāchaitya, Site 2, Site 3, Site 4 and Site 9. usually the monastic unit at Nagarjunakonda consists of a stūpa, chetiyaghara and vihāra. But there are sites where no chetiyaghara is seen and sometimes in the early phase of the Site, absence of the chetiyaghara is marked. Such Sites are: Site-6, Site-7 & 8, Site-14, Site-15, Site-20, Site-21, Site-27, Site-30, Site-32A, Site-32B, Site-54, Site-86 and early phase of Site-1, Site-38 and Site-43. Unit with chetiyaghara with stūpa inside: Stūpas with Swāstikā Inset at Nagarjunakonda: There are three stūpas at Nagarjunakonda valley with swastikā inset. Swastikās are arranged in these stūpas with bricks, below the foundations, more or less on the ground level. These swastikās being in the centre of the base are not visible f r o m o u t s i d e . S i n c e s u c h arrangements cannot have any architectural significance, it was definitely done on ideological considerations. The sites with Swastikā inset stūpas are Site 20, Site 59 and Site 108. Interestingly all the above sites are arranged side by side in a row. Votive stūpas at Nagarjunakonda: Several votive stūpas are unearthed at the valley of Nagarjunakonda. All the votive stūpas at Nagarjunakonda are made of solid core and without āyakā- platforms, with the exception of votive stūpa at Site-2. The sites having votive stūpas are Site 2, Site 6, Site 9, Site 15, Site 23, Site 38, Site 106, Site 108. Of all the monasteries in the valley the sites, which had only the apsidal chetiyagharas with stūpa inside, are: Site-1[late phase], Site-5, Site 23, Site 24, Site 26, Site 28, Site 32, Site 43, Site 51 and Site 108. Site-5 and Site-26 both had two chetiyagharas with stūpa inside and belong to the Bahusrutiyā sect. They are connected with another peculiar architectural feature in the form of a structure, which are externally circular and internally square. Site-32A also has this feature and is also attributed to the sect of Bahusrutiyā. Site-1 belonged to the Apārāmahāvinaseliyas. Site-43 (late phase), Site-32 and Site-23, with the apsidal chetiyaghara inside vihāra complex belonged to the Theravādins. Site-24 had one apsidal chetiyaghara for stūpa and two circular chetiyaghara for images, though no images are found at the valley. Site-51 is the only site with chetiyaghara with stūpa and vihāra with no stūpa, though the chetiyaghara is well preserved. Site-108 also has a very dominating chetiyaghara, but it also has the vihāra and stūpa in the unit. 48
Page 1:
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ORGANIZED BY Th
Page 4 and 5:
Message by His Excellency the Presi
Page 6: Message from His Excellency the Pri
Page 9 and 10: CONTENTS 01 02 07 09 11 14 16 20 27
Page 11 and 12: International Buddhist Conference O
Page 16 and 17: Remarks by the High Commissioner of
Page 18 and 19: Remarks by Shri Suresh K. Goel, Dir
Page 20 and 21: Remarks by Prof G.L.Peiris, Hon’b
Page 22 and 23: placed the highest priority on that
Page 25 and 26: Contemporary Indian Interpretations
Page 27 and 28: comparison as an indication of the
Page 29 and 30: Buddha’s Dhamma as the Foundation
Page 31 and 32: why it recommends deconstruction of
Page 33 and 34: The Buddhist ultimate goal is to do
Page 35 and 36: programme by ethically transforming
Page 37 and 38: national symbol became the lion. Th
Page 39 and 40: “Watha deranatha nohera dakva aka
Page 41 and 42: of China political influence. Most
Page 44 and 45: Influence of Buddhism on Sri Lankan
Page 46 and 47: Indo-Sri Lankan Literary Ties Mahes
Page 48 and 49: Indian Influence on Sinhalese Langu
Page 50 and 51: Bibliography Deokar, Mahesh. (2011)
Page 52 and 53: Some time before and after the comp
Page 54 and 55: NAGARJUNAKONDA: THE SITE OF INTERFA
Page 58 and 59: Unit with both, chetiyaghara with s
Page 60 and 61: Dham….vihāre sela-ma[m]davo [a s
Page 62 and 63: the stupa inside, which is afterwar
Page 64 and 65: Buddhist Philosophy Ven. Sok Buntho
Page 66 and 67: The cultural heritages are the tang
Page 68 and 69: conditionality of all physical and
Page 70 and 71: from lying or evil speech) and(5) S
Page 72 and 73: Buddha's teachings were recorded in
Page 74 and 75: schools of alien and Indigenous tra
Page 76 and 77: ̣ It was regulated by Vajrayanic t
Page 78 and 79: esponsibilities to society; they go
Page 80 and 81: might try to stop making things wor
Page 82 and 83: start this analysis with an introdu
Page 84 and 85: subcontinental developments, in the
Page 86 and 87: 136 by the Vedic Aryans in India ca
Page 88 and 89: 170 presents his material as a well
Page 90 and 91: the Christian era up to the end of
Page 92 and 93: Bodhi tree because there is no othe
Page 94 and 95: that every year the Dhammadhatu be
Page 96 and 97: 292 cast themselves in the role of
Page 98 and 99: Role of Sanskrit in the Cultural in
Page 100 and 101: Pali poetic compositions of Srilank
Page 102 and 103: The Buddhist historiography of Sri
Page 104 and 105: of a system of dynamic mutual relat
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commentaries. On finding a text for
Page 108 and 109:
misconduct' and 'achievement as the
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eing of the society. It is the dham
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