Introduction to Buddhist Marvels in South India

South India boasts Buddhist monuments reflecting a rich cultural heritage. These sacred sites, adorned with intricate carvings and serene landscapes, stand as testament to the region’s historical Buddhist influence.

Amaravati Stupa – Majestic Relic and Global Sculptural Legacy

• Amaravati has a mahachaitya and many sculptures which are now preserved in many museums around the world.

Features of Amaravati Stupa’s Artistic Splendor

• Structural Appearance: Like the Sanchi Stupa, the Amaravati Stupa also has pradakshina patha enclosed within a vedika on which many narrative sculptures are depicted. 
  • The Torana of the Amaravati Stupa has disappeared over a period of time.
• Life Events through Buddhist Monument: Events from the life of the Buddha and the Jataka stories are depicted. 
• Buddhist Monuments’ Visual Evolution: Similar to  Sanchi, the early phase is devoid of Buddha images but during the later phase, in the second and third centuries CE, the Buddha images are carved on the drum slabs and at many other places. 
• Characteristics of Buddhist Monument: Sculptural form in this area is characterized by intense emotions.
  • Figures are slender, have a lot of movement, bodies are shown with three bents (i.e. tribhanga), and the sculptural composition is more complex than at Sanchi.

Amaravati Stupa’s Jataka Tales with Artistic Evolution

• Life Events: Narratives are profusely depicted which include events from the life of the Buddha and the Jataka stories.
• The animated movement in the figures was reduced in the sculptures of Nagarjunkonda and Goli in the third century CE. 
• Protruding Figures: Even within the relatively low relief volume than in the Amaravati sculptures, artists at Nagarjunkonda and Goli managed to create the effect of protruding surfaces of the body which is suggestive in nature and looks very integral. 

Sacred Sites and Independent Buddha Images in South India

• Independent Buddha images are also found at Amaravati, Nagarjunakonda and Guntapalle in Andhra Pradesh. 
• Nagarjunakonda: Nagarjunakonda or Nagarjuna’s hill on the right bank of river Krishna forms part of Nallamlai ranges.
  • Sunyavada: It is believed that Buddhist philosopher Nagarjuna lived here and propounded the sunyavada. 
• Guntapalle: It is a rock-cut cave site near Eluru. Small apsidal and circular chaitya halls have been excavated belonging to the second century BCE.
• Anakapalle: The other important site where rock-cut stupas have been excavated is Anakapalle near Visakhapatnam. 
• Sannati: In Karnataka, Sannati in Gulbarga district is the largest stupa site excavated so far.
• Buddhist Monuments: Bodhisattvas Images – Along with the images of the Buddha, other Buddhist images of Bodhisattvas like Avalokiteshvara, Padmapani, Vajrapani, Amitabha, and Maitreya Buddha started getting sculpted. 

Conclusion:

Buddhist Monuments’ Evolution: With the rise of Vajrayana Buddhism, many Bodhisattva images were added as a part of the personified representations of certain virtues or qualities as propagated by the Buddhist religious principles for the welfare of the masses.