Andhra Pradesh:

The cradle of Buddhist civilisation

by Nagalingam KUMARAKURUPARAN

In the Indian subcontinent no other region is so rich in ancient Buddhist monuments as Andhra Pradesh is.

For about thousand years (300 BC to 600 AD) Buddhism exerted profound influence on the socio-cultural life of the Andhras especially during the Satavahana period when the rich artisan and trading communities patronised it and raised magnificent monuments in its honour.

Buddha's descent from the Trayastrinsha heaven

In South India, Andhra Pradesh occupies a place of pride in the history of Buddhism - especially in its philosophy and Art. Andhras were the earliest ones who extended enthusiastic welcome to Buddhism, and both the Theravada and the Mahayana systems enjoyed their liberal patronage.

Discoveries

The recent discoveries have revealed that, though in a humble way, the building activity by the local Buddhists goes back to pre-Asokan times, it reached its zenith during the later Satavahana and Iksvaku periods (100 BC to 300 AD).

The excavated sites have brought out the grandeur and magnificence of stupas and viharas both rock-cut and brick built and captivating beauty of sculptures that once adorned them.

The discoveries throw ample light on the history of Buddhism in Andhra Pradesh.During British rule James Burgess did a monumental work on the Buddhist stupas of Amaravati. Alexander Rea, who excavated several sites produced a nearly comprehensive work entitled South Indian Buddhist Antiquities. Several scholars have worked on the Andhra Buddhist monuments, and have published works on its different aspects.

Amaravati

The recent finds in the excavations at Amaravati have pushed back the antiquity of Buddhism in Andhra Pradesh to the pre-Asokan period. Emperor Asoka is said to have erected pillars at places which already had Buddhist Associations and a fragment of pillar with a few lines of Asoka's edict is found at Amaravati.The pillar edict makes it clear that the place had already Buddhist Associations.

The evidence is further confirmed by the recent excavations.

It may be added that from the beginning, the Andhras had been in the forefront of all movements which sought to popularise the doctrine of Buddha.

Andhra Pradesh was hospitable to both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism. There existed intimate cultural relations between Andhra Pradesh and Sri Lanka since the time of Asoka and several Sri Lankan Theravada fraternities had their viharas in the Nagarjunakonda valley.One of the Nagarjunakonda inscriptions mentions 'Sihala Vihara' on Chuladhammagiri.

"One of the Sri Lankan kings of the third century AD made permanent gifts to 'Sihala Vihara' and built a dining hall for Sri Lankan Bhikkhus at "Nagarjunakonda," (Nagarjuna Hill).

Saivites

Buddhists in Andhra Pradesh preferred hilltops for their establishments and they are generally faraway from the disturbing areas of towns and villages.

Later Saivites and Vaisnavites followed the tradition and chose to have their Holy places on hills - Sri Sailam and Tirumala Tirupati attracting people from different parts of the land. Amaravati was another important Buddhist centre in Andhra Pradesh.

The stupa at Amaravati is famous all over the world.

The ancient name of Amaravati known from inscriptions and literature is Dhanyakataka. It might have been one of the 30 walled towns in Andhra Pradesh during Satavahana period mentioned by Megasthanes.

The origin and development of the 'Mahacaitya' at Amaravati extends over a thousand years (300 BC to 700 AD). During the period the stupa was renovated and enlarged several times and fully decorated from time to time.

Asoka

Having its origins during pre-Asokan times, the Amaravati stupa was rebuilt by Emperor Asoka and received rich additions during the Satavahana, Iksvaku and Pallava periods to become the most magnificent of the Buddhist monuments in the contemporary world.

Buddhaghosha

Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda also became centres of higher learning of international reputation. Buddhaghosa of Kanchipuram who had restored the Pali canon to India from Sri Lanka and the author of Visuddhi Magga an encyclopaedic work on Theravada Buddhism might have spent his last days in Sihala Vihara at Nagarjunakonda.

The Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang wrote that he had studied Abhidhamma at Amaravati Achrya Nagarjuna who had illuminated the Buddhist world with his intellectual eminence, and considered as one of the greatest philosophers, the world has ever produced, taught at Amaravati.

Devout Buddhists of China, Japan, Tibet and other Far Eastern countries consider him to be a great Buddhist teacher who again set in motion the wheel of Dhamma.

Nagarjuna a magical name that baffles the most brainy in sheer intellectual power and moral force.

The Buddha's doctrine was responsible for uniting the Andhras into a single race and in return the Andhras played a remarkable role not only in its geographical extension, but also in developing and enriching the Buddhist philosophy and religion.

Buddhism had been a strong force in the social and cultural history of Andhra Pradesh for about thousand years.

Such was the impact of Buddhism in Andhra Pradesh. Later in the period of Bhakti Movement (Devotional period) in the 7th century AD Gautama Buddha was placed by the Hindus among the pantheon of Avatars as the incarnation of God Maha Vishnu.