The Dhyana Buddha complex at Amaravati. From The Hindu
The state government aims to boost tourism. From Mirchi 9
Andhra Pradesh's proposed new capital. From The Indian ExpressAiming to increase tourism to the region, the state government of Andhra Pradesh in southeast India plans to set up an international hub of Buddhist monasteries in Amaravati, the state’s planned new capital. The government wants to encourage different Buddhist orders to build monasteries and temples, hoping to replicate the popularity of Bodh Gaya in northeast India.
“The state government is mulling to set up a ‘monastery boulevard’ in the capital region where Buddhists from countries across the world can build their monasteries, similar to Bodh Gaya in Bihar,” a state government official said. (The Times of India)
Amaravati is situated on the southern bank of the Krishna River, almost 22 miles north of Guntur City in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. It was a celebrated Buddhist center during the 2nd century BCE. The Amaravati stupa, currently in ruins, was built during the reign of the Indian emperor Ashoka in 200 BCE and is related to the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition. Antiquities discovered at the site have been preserved by the state government and in museums in Amaravati operated by the Archaeological Survey of India, an agency under India’s Ministry of Culture. Notable artifacts include statues of the Buddha with lotus symbols on his feet, curled hair, and long ear lobes, and sculptures of the female deity Tara and the bodhisattva Padmapani. Other objects excavated from the site are held by the Chennai Government Museum and the British Museum in London.
Excavations in Amaravati have also unearthed the ruins of an Ashokan Pillar, considered the first example of Mauryan art in South India. The pillars of Ashoka are a series of columns found throughout India. They were erected or at least inscribed with edicts by Emperor Ashoka during his reign in the 3rd century BCE. Although there are currently few Buddhist monasteries in Amaravati, the Amareshwara Hindu temple is a popular destination for pilgrims.
According to The Hindu, the proposal to establish a hub of monasteries belonging to different Buddhist orders was raised during a meeting of state officials to discuss tourism development. The officials noted that monasteries of different Buddhist traditions in Dharamsala and Kathmandu had helped both places to become international tourist attractions. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chadnrababu Naidu also identified 13 heritage tourism sites—including Hope Island, off the coast of the city of Kakinada, Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, and Konaseema, an area of natural beauty in Andhra Pradesh’s East Godavari district—that could be developed as part of a tourist circuit.
Bodh Gaya is a major pilgrimage destination for Buddhists from all over the world, and is perhaps best known as the place where the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree. The main site in Bodh Gaya related to the Buddha’s life is the Mahabodhi Temple complex, containing the Mahabodhi Temple with the “diamond throne” (Vajrasana) to mark the exact spot where the Buddha attained enlightenment, the holy Bodhi Tree, and the Mahabodhi Stupa.
In 2002, the Mahabodhi Temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A number of Buddhist temples and monasteries have been built by the people of Bhutan, China, Japan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam around the Mahabodhi Temple, reflecting the architectural style of temples in their respective countries.
See more
Andhra Pradesh Mulls Setting up 'Monastery Boulevard' to Boost Tourism (NDTV)
AP govt plans setting up ‘Monastery Boulevard’ (The Times of India)
Monastery Boulevard at Amaravati (The Hindu)
Archaeological Museum, Amaravati (Archaeological Survey of India)
Bodhgaya Information (Culture Holidays)
