Surrounded by beautiful farm fields, Bojjannakonda, located three km. from Anakapalle town and 40 km. from Visakhapatnam, stands testimony to the fact that Buddhism flourished in north Andhra between the third century BC and seventh century AD. It is an excellent site to study the rich Buddhist past of the region.
Bojjannakonda was excavated under the aegis of Alexander Rim in 1906. A gold coin belonging to the Samudra Gupta period, copper coins of the Chalukya king, Kubja Vishnu Vardhan, coins of Andhra Satavahanas and pottery were discovered at the site. This site features all the three phases of Buddhism: Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana.
A figure of ‘Kalabhairava' with the head of Lord Ganesha wearing conch shells and the image of a Buddhist monk, ‘Harati' have also been found at the site. A stairway leads to a large double-storeyed cave on the hill. The rectangular cave has a doorway and is flanked by ‘dwarapalas' on either side. A series of rock-cut caves and monolithic structures standing on rock platforms are present on the northern side of the hill. The upper cave has a rectangular doorway, flanked by figures of the Buddha on either side.
Awesome!
The imposing figures of the Buddha, seated in a meditation-posture and the stupa are the main attraction for tourists at Bojjannakonda. On the top of the hill, there is a group of structural buildings and a vihara (monastery), which has been reduced to ruins.
Another hillock - Lingalakonda or Lingalametta can be seen. A number of monolithic and structural stupas can be seen on the top of this hillock. Buddhist monks used to worship on the hill 2000 years ago. It was originally known as ‘Buddhuni konda' (hill of the Buddha) but it came to be known as ‘Bojjannakonda' in course of time. The Buddhist temple at Barabodur in Java has been constructed on the lines of the structures on Lingalametta, according to Buddhist monks. It is also known as ‘Sankaram', perhaps, a corruption of the Buddhist ‘Sangraha'. People of the neighbouring villages gather in large numbers on Kanumu day (last day of Pongal) every year and it is celebrated as ‘Theertham'. Buddha Purnima, ‘Karteeka Masam' and other special occasions also draw people from the neighbouring villages to the site. While the monument that is of immense historical importance was neglected for long, the Archaeological Survey of India has initiated steps to safeguard the structures and to provide basic amenities like lighting.
Source: The Hindu