Amaravati Temple in Guntur

About Amaravati Temple

Located in the Guntur district in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Amravati is a famous pilgrim spot, housing a plethora of ancient Buddhist monuments that date back centuries and are more than 2000 years old.

The most vital tourist and pilgrim attractions here include the famous Amareswara Shrine that’s dedicated to Lord Shiva, and the ancient Stupa, popular for its beautifully carved pillars.

The place also has a museum known by the name of the place, showcasing some more ancient Buddhist archeological objects, from gold flowers to bone relics, etc. Amravati is also quite commonly known by the name of Dhanyakataka and it is widely believed that the founder of Buddhism—Gautam Buddha had given sermons here.

Telugu is the primary language in this area and the best time to visit Amravati is between November and February. You can find the major tourist attractions in the place right below—

• Chikhaldara Wildlife Sanctuary
• Shri Bhakti Dham
  

  Temple

• Shri Ekvira Temple
• Ambadevi Temple
• Chatri Talao

Why is Amaravati Temple important?

If you were to ever visit the Guntur district and travel along the banks of the Krishna River, you’d come across an interesting historic relic – the Amaravati Temple. Part of what makes this temple so significant lies in its history.

It was built by the great Indian prince Vasireddy Venkatadri Nayudu in the 1790s. He wanted to establish a new capital for his kingdom. He was also a great landowner and wanted to make that obvious to all who lived near him.

The capital of his kingdom was formerly Chintapalli, but he decided to move it because he was facing harsh and stark discrimination from the British East India Company.

Construction workers found an Amaravati stupa that went back to ancient Indian times when they were digging the ground to build Amaravati. So they decided to name the town after the unearthed stupa..

Interestingly enough, Nayudu’s kingdom was next (adjacent) to Dhanyakataka which was the center of the ancient Satavahana kingdom. If you were to visit this town, you’d be struck by its obvious and amazing beauty.

But one thing that would really stand out for you is the Amaralingeswara Temple. Hindus regard it as one of their sacred Pancharama Kshetras.

Incidentally enough, the town was influenced by Buddhist principles, concepts, and practices in ancient times. The Amaravati Stupa that was discovered is evidence of this. Construction on the stupa began in the 2nd century B.C.E. and commenced in the 3rd century C.E. Thus this was an important icon for ancient Buddhists.

The town is also home to a 21st-century wonder – the Dhyana Buddha statue. The Buddha in this statue is assuming the Dhyana posture when sitting.

In any case, all of these phenomena has made the Indian Government select Amaravati for the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HCDAY) program. The idea behind this is to preserve a rich slice of ancient and pre-modern India.

Why visit Amaravati?

Well, if the information presented above didn’t excite you, you may be excited to hear that Amaravati is home to many other places of worship for people of all religions – not just Hindus. Also, you’d be experiencing the ‘authentic taste and flavor’ of India by visiting this amazing town!