Ghantasala is a village in
Krishna district
Krishna district is district in the coastal Andhra Region in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, with Machilipatnam as its administrative headquarters. It is the coastal district of Andhra Pradesh. Machilipatnam is the most populated city in the ...
of the
Indian state
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions.
History
Pre-indepen ...
of
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...
. It is 21 km west of
Machilipatnam
Machilipatnam (), also known as Masulipatnam and Bandar, is a city in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipal corporation and the administrative headquarters of Krishna district. It is also the mandal headquarte ...
and 11 km east of
Krishna River. The largest city of this district,
Vijaywada
Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...
, is around 60 km away. It is a rare and reputed center for
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
sculptures.
History
Ghantasala is a town and the headquarters of
Ghantasala mandal
Ghantasala mandal is one of the 25 mandals in the Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The headquarters of this mandal is located in the town of Ghantasala.
Geography
The mandal is bordered by Pamidimukkala and Movva ...
in
Krishna District
Krishna district is district in the coastal Andhra Region in Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, with Machilipatnam as its administrative headquarters. It is the coastal district of Andhra Pradesh. Machilipatnam is the most populated city in the ...
of Andhra Pradesh. It is 21 km west of Machilipatnam and 11 km east of River Krishna.
Boswell of the East India Company first reported Ghantasala as a historical site in 1870-71. Alexander Rea excavated the stupa at Ghantasala, which had a circumference of 112 feet and a height of 23 feet. The remains of an important
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
stupa and sculptural slabs were found in 1919-20. Ghantasala was once a flourishing town of Indo-Roman trade as well as an important religious centre. The Buddhist relics and the Hindu structures at the place reveal its past glory. Carved limestone columns belonging to pillared halls associated with Buddhist monastic establishments (2-3rd centuries BC ) have been discovered. The ruined Maha Chaitya or stupa that was excavated here is of a unique design. A cube of solid bricks is set in the centre, inscribed with 12 constellations of the zodiac.
Holy relic sites map of Andhra Pradesh.jpg, Ghantasala is one of the Holy relic Buddhist sites of Andhra Pradesh.
Andhra pradesh, santuario a più piani, da ghantasala, 90-110 ca..JPG, Relief of a multi-storied temple, 2nd century CE, Ghantasala Stupa.
The chaityas had a texture and size unique to the
Satavahana
The Satavahanas (''Sādavāhana'' or ''Sātavāhana'', IAST: ), also referred to as the Andhras in the Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty based in the Deccan region. Most modern scholars believe that the Satavahana rule began in the l ...
times and had separate dwelling places for Buddhist monks in the complex. All walls were found to have beautiful plastering with superfine lime mortar. A three-dimensional limestone carved structure, embellished on the dome portion of the stupa had two
garland bearers
Garlands bearers, typically in the form of small naked putti holding up a continuous garland very large in relation to their size, formed a popular ornamental design in classical arts, from the Greco-Roman world to India, with ramifications as fa ...
, a dhamma chakra and a miniature stupa on a throne in the middle. Objects such as a four-by-three-feet 'Purna Kalasa' containing lotus flowers, indicating the birth of
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...
were also discovered. The stupa had concentric inner wheels radiating towards a central chamber.primary amongst them is a raised cylindrical mound with a semi spheric
Economy
Hand-loom industry
Hand loom
A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but ...
weaving is most predominant in the village.
Mangalagiri
Mangalagiri is a South Suburb of Vijayawada in Guntur district of Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The town is a part of Mangalagiri Tadepalle Municipal Corporation and part of Tenali revenue division. It is a major sub urban of Vijayawada and ...
and
Gadwal
Gadwal is a City and the district headquarters of Jogulamba Gadwal district in the Indian state of Telangana. It is located from the state capital Hyderabad And 59 km From Kurnool and is a state assembly constituency. Gadwal historical ...
cotton sarees are the mostly weaved and are exported many parts of the country.
Transport
Machilipatnam
Machilipatnam (), also known as Masulipatnam and Bandar, is a city in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a municipal corporation and the administrative headquarters of Krishna district. It is also the mandal headquarte ...
is connected by road and rail from Vijaywada.
Vijaywada
Vijayawada, formerly known as Bezawada, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and is a part of the state's Capital Region. It is the administrative headquarters of the NTR district. Its metropolitan region comprises NT ...
has an airport located some 20 km away at
Gannavaram
Gannavaram is a suburb of Vijayawada in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is also the mandal headquarters of Gannavaram mandal which is administered under Gudivada revenue division. It is a neighborhood of Vijayawada in ...
.
See also
*
Andhra Vishnu
Andhra Vishnu, better known as Srikakula Mahavishnu statue, was set up in Andhra in a pre-existing older temple. The previous deistic form worshiped in the temple is unknown.
Āndhra Vishnu temple
The deity of the temple is known as ''Andhr ...
*
Villages in Ghantasala mandal
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghantasala
Villages in Krishna district
Archaeological sites in Andhra Pradesh
Mandal headquarters in Krishna district
Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India
Villages in Guntur district
Ancient Indian cities
Hindu holy cities