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| My Friend and I |
(Dedicated to my friend Mahesh, with whom I visited the place)
Widely regarded as Andhra's Ellora, the National protected monument of Guntupalli Buddhist Caves is an under-rated, picturesque place. I've had the good fortune of visiting this historical place with a friend. The monument comprises of a few rock-cut Buddhist viharas/chaityas and a sthupa, spread over two hills. Originally dated to 200s -0s BCE, scholars regard this site as belonging to Hinyana Buddhist phase - a rarity in Andhra Pradesh, wherein once Mahayana Buddhism flourished.
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| The path |
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| The chaitya with the arch entrance |
The arch-type entrance to the first Chaitya is very interesting - it resembles the apsidal construction of Lomas Rishi cave (Barabar Caves, Bihar) - probably, one of the first in India. Guntupalli is also associated with the legendary Maurya emperor, Asoka the Great. In-fact, Buddhism owes it's spread due to the missionary zeal of the repentant Emperor of Magadha. There are few Brick Sthupas too, of a lesser quality. The Viharas carved out of the hillock offer interesting insights into the lifestyle of Buddhist monks, for example, the crude but functional drainage system to flush out any excess clogged rainy water.
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| The main sthupa |
The great Kalinga emperor of Mahameghavahana dynasty, Kharavela issued a famous inscription at Guntupalli, probably during his conquest of Andhra. The inscription is missing - so are the relic caskets which were allegedly discovered near the main sthupa. The main Sthupa and the platform way to it - offers a glorious view of the surroundings below. However, there is huge scope for tourism potential lest this glorious place be permanently reduced to a motley group of dilapidated ruins. Hope this isn't a cry in the wilderness!
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| View from Main Sthupa |
Maheeth Veluvali, (Dedicated to my friend Mahesh, with whom I visited the place)
Tuesday, 02nd of November, 2021
16 Saladi Jamindar Street, Palakollu.
