BAVIKONDA ,VISAKHAPATNAM,ANDHRA PRADESH

• Ancient Buddist sites are all around surronded Visakhapatnam, most of which have been excavated recently . 

• The imprint of Buddhist legacy is so strong here that the interest of archeologists in this area is growing by the day. 

• Excavation carried out in 1982-87 revealed an entire Buddhist establishment comprising a Mahachaitya, embedded with relic caskets, large vihara complex, numerous votive stupas, a stone pillared congregation hall, rectangular halls, a refectory etc.

 

• Artefacts discovered from the site include Roman and Satavahana coins and pottery dating back to the 3rd century BC to the 2nd century AD.

                                

                                            

• A significant finding here is a piece of bone stored in an urn. This bone is widely supposed to be the mortal remains of the Buddha. In the urn, there is also a large quantity of ash.

 

• The Bavikonda site, today, is counted amongst one of the oldest and immensely sacred Buddhist sites in the Asia. 

• The ruins of the site stand reminder to the great Buddhist civilisation that once existed in the southern part of India. The site, infact, also reminds a number of visitors of the Borobudur in Indonesia.