About 1,700 years ago, Nagarjunakonda ("Hill of Nagarjuna") flourished as a city and a great religious and educational center of Brahmanism and Buddhism in the modern state of Andhra Pradesh, south India. Once called Vijayapuri ("City of Victory"), after king Vijaya Satakarni of the Satavahana dynasty, it later became the capital of the Ikshvaku dynasty (225--325 CE), falling into terminal decline after the demise of the last Ikshvaku king.
Its modern name derives from one of its illustrious citizens, Nagarjuna, a Buddhist monk-philosopher and founder of the Madhyamika ("Middle Path") school, who lived between 150-250 CE (est.). His exposition on the concept of shunyata ("emptiness") is regarded as an intellectual and spiritual achievement of the highest order. Recognized as a patriarch by several later Buddhist schools, his two basic works are Madhyamika Karika and Vigrahavyavartani, both critical analyses of views about the origin of existence, the means of knowledge, and the nature of reality. *
The ancient township was discovered in 1926 by an Indian teacher, S Venkataramayya. Much of it is now submerged under the third largest manmade lake caused by the Nagarjuna Sagar dam across river Krishna. Archaeological finds between 1926–60 helped establish a cultural sequence from early stone age to Medieval times. More than 130 sites over 24 sq. kms were excavated and some of the structures were moved and reconstructed on what is now an island on the lake and on its eastern bank at Anupu (much like saving Abu Simbel from the Aswan Dam project in Egypt).
From Vijayawada, it took us the better part of a morning -- three bus rides and an auto-rickshaw -- to reach the nearest village with tourist facilities. The buses stopped in towns and villages whose names were displayed only in Telugu (as in parts of Tamil Nadu, Hindi and English are of limited help to travelers here). We heard of a congregation to take place in a week at nearby Amaravati, comprising thousands of Tibetan monks led by the Dalai Lama. After years of drought, the monsoon this year had been good; we saw cotton and pepper fields in a region still infamous for its depleted water tables and farmers escaping en masse to Maharashtra, or committing suicide to be rid of their debts. A few days earlier, we were close to the massive Krishna and Godavari river deltas, and it struck me that all that water could be harnessed and put to good use here. Why are large rivers allowed to empty into the ocean nearby when they can bring real relief to these parts? But in India, such questions, as usual, are a dime a dozen.
Most visitors to Nagarjunakonda arrive from Hyderabad on weekend day trips. Highlights for them seem to be the scenic ferry ride across the lake to the island and a picnic under a shady spot. It is not clear how much of the ancient city still lies buried under water but the ruins of ancient stupas, monasteries, and burial sites, now strewn about the island, make for a pleasant yet haunting excursion. There is even a spot where the founder of the Ikshvaku dynasty performed the Vedic horse sacrifice, Ashvamedha. A reconstructed bathing ghat is a fitting place to end the visit and ponder the lives of people who once inhabited these parts.
A museum on the island holds many exquisite sculptures, artifacts, and archaeological data on the ancient city. But here too, as usual, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) prohibits photography of works with long expired copyright claims. Why? Nobody ever has a good answer. "Orders from above" is the most common. "Apply for a permit in Delhi," they say. If this prohibition isn't evidence of a bureaucratic mind, I don't know what is. These finds, excavated with taxpayer money, are not only the inheritance of all Indians but of all humanity, meant to be photographed, videotaped, and marveled at. As usual, I attempted to sneak in a few photos but an overzealous guard, sensing my intent, followed me around. Nagarjuna would surely have disapproved.
* Source: Encyclopedia Britannica 2004
Its a great collection of pics and info about many spots and some really remote parts in India like "Nagarjunakonda". Its really inspiring and a dream world for me. Thanks a lot for this masterpiece of photography, history and nature.
Naveen Reddy, UTHSC, Memphis (Chittoor, AP, India)
Posted by: Naveen Reddy | March 10, 2009 at 01:36 PM
The Author says limited usuage of English names in Tamilnadu which is false
The Truth is It is more worst in North India.
In South India, atleast locals can understand few words in English and literacy rate is more compared to north India.
Posted by: Sen | August 14, 2010 at 02:27 AM