Amaravathi: The Rise and Fall of the Buddhist Sites

Context

Union Finance has recently announced the facilitation of financial support of Rs.15,000 crore through multilateral development agencies for the development of  Amaravati .

About

• Discovery and Initial Use (Late 1700s): Raja Vessareddy Nayudu determined ruins in Dhanyakatakam village, Andhra Pradesh, and used the limestone pillars and panels for constructing materials, unknowingly destroying components of the historic Amaravathi site.
  • Others within the region accompanied the suit, leading to further destruction until 1816.
• Colonial Survey : Colonel Colin Mackenzie, first surveyor general of India, commenced surveying the site in 1816 after an earlier visit in 1798.
  • This caused the rediscovery of the Amaravathi stupa but also ended in further destruction.
• Modern Capital Named Amaravati : In 2015, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister named the brand new capital Amaravati, derived from the ancient Buddhist site online, for numerological motives.
  • The capital is about 20 km from the authentic Amaravathi.
• Amaravati, famous for the Amareswara temple, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva, dates back to the 2nd century BCE and was once the capital of the Satavahanas and also the Pallava kings. 

Introduction and Spread of Buddhism in Andhra 

• Buddhism, rising within the fifth century BCE in Magadh, reached Andhra through trade.
• Amaravati became a seat of Buddhism previous to the upward push of Satavahanas, and a stupa and monastery had been constructed there all through the reign of Emperor Ashoka (269-232 BC) under Mauryan Empire.
• Emperor Ashoka’s 3rd-century BCE inscription boosted its spread.
• Andhra’s first urbanization was linked to Buddhism’s growth. Merchants performed a key function in supporting Buddhism. 
• Local practices like megalithic burials encouraged the design of stupas.

Significance of Amaravathi in Buddhism 

• Amaravathi was a major center for Mahayana Buddhism, with Acharya Nagarjuna’s teachings spreading it throughout South Asia and past. It is considered sacred by figures just like the Dalai Lama.
• The Amaravathi stupa led to the development of the Amaravathi college of art, a primary fashion of historic Indian art acknowledged for its aesthetic sculptures and impact on later Buddhist artwork across South and Southeast Asia.

Decline of Buddhism in Andhra

• The decline of Buddhism in Andhra was related to the rise of Shaivism and socio-monetary changes. By the 4th century CE, Buddhism confronted reduced patronage and competition from other religions.
• Destruction and Looting (19th Century): Following Mackenzie’s survey, many sculptures were eliminated and dispatched to numerous places, consisting of London, in which they experienced similarly deterioration. 

Recent Repatriation Efforts 

• Australia returned a stolen Amaravathi-fashion sculpture below the 1970 UNESCO Convention. However, there’s a loss of systematic provenance studies and proactive repatriation efforts in India.
• Many Amaravathi sculptures are dispersed globally. There is a loss of dedicated educational packages in India at the Amaravathi School of Art, with the Art Institute of Chicago being an exception.

Source: The Hindu