Inspiring Buddhist saga of Andhra Rohan L Jayetilleke Recently a Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, approved a proposal submitted by Culture and Arts Minister T B Ekanayake to allocate a sum of Rs 7.9 million as the Sri Lanka’s contribution for the project initiated by the Tourism, Media and Culture Ministry of the Andhra Pradesh State Government for the establishment of an International Cultural Centre in Andhra Pradesh, depicting historical events. These historical events had taken place in different countries. The masterpieces of religious arts and crafts are themed as ‘Parvatharama’ (Buddhavanam) in Andhra Pradesh. This is an enormous task to consolidate the time-old Buddhist legacies of Asian countries and promote friendship and shared values. Andhra Pradesh is situated on the northern frontier of Tamil Nadu. Andhra Pradesh is bisected now into the divisions based on language. The area on the northern slopes of Vidhya range of hill is inhabited by Muslims speaking Urdu Language and the southern slopes of the hills by Hindus speaking Telugu Language. In ancient times the entire area was known as Telangana, the country of Telugu-speaking people. The Muslims had the capital at Hyderabad, which still is the capital. The sea port is Vishakapattanam, named after Vishaka, the spouse of Sravasthi richest merchant, Anatha Pindika. He acquired the park of Prince Jetavana, built a huge Jetavanarama and donated it to the Buddha in the 6th century BC. Huge residence His spouse, Vishaka, built the Oubbarama and had it donated to the Buddha about 10 kms away from Jetavanavihara. The huge residence remains still in Sravasthi next to Angulimala stupa. This alone shows that the merchants of Sravasthi had overseas trading journeys using the Vishakapattanam sea port. Andhra Pradesh is rich in minerals such as gold, silver, uranium, asbestos and coal. Incidentally the entire coal needs of Tamil Nadu are provided by Andhra Pradesh. In the Telugu area in Thirupathi is the high mountain, the summit on which has the Thirukesvaram Hindu Temple. The temple receives 100,000 visitors and Thirupathy is dotted with more than 100 tourist hotels to accommodate these pilgrims. This temple is the richest Hindu Temple in the world. The illuminating Buddha Dhamma of the 6th century BC reached Andhradesha during the lifetime of Gautama Buddha. The disciples of Bavari from Assaka Kingdom straddling Godha River, were the first to meet the Buddha at Rajagaha the capital of Magadha Kingdom ruled by King Bimbisara and returned with his teachings. According to tradition, soon after the Mahaparinirvana of the Buddha, the King of Assaka, ruling from Patali (Bodhan), and his son Sujata embraced Buddhism through Ven Maha Kachchana (Vimanavattu Commentary). However, the real impetus for the spread of Buddha Dhamma arose in the wake of a schism in the Maha Sangha over ten vinaya rules, re-enacted by the independent-minded Vajji Bhikkhus. This was against the original Vinaya laid down by the Buddha hundred years ago. Thus the necessity arose for the convening of a Second Sangha Council under the chairmanship of Ven Revata, the then most senior monk. The Vajjiputtaka monks who called them Maha Sanghika and their on Vinaya rules were rejected at this Council which was convened at Vaishali. The monk, who stood by the original Vinaya, then moved to South India and settled down at Chaiyayasada at Dhanaya kataka (Amaravati) in the valley of Krishna river and established their own Sect called Caityakas and promoted Buddha Dhamma which came to be known as Theravada (Hinayana) and the Mahasanghikas came to be known as Mahayanists. Third Buddhist Council With the convening of the Third Buddhist Council at Pataliputra (modern Patna capital of Bihar State) under the chairmanship the chief preceptor of Maurya Emperor Asoka, Ven Mahamoggaliputta Tissa (Upagupta) under the patronage of Asoka (269-228 BC). On conclusion of the Council (253 BC) nine Buddhist missions were sent to various parts of India, including Central Asia, East Asian countries, Sri Lanka under Mahinda Maha Thera, and one to Mahimsakamandala including modern Karnataka, and the Deccan States including Andhra under Arahant Mahadeva and a group of senior monks. The emergence of Andhra Satavaha rulers, set up a more durable empires in India, promoting Buddha Dhamma. Thus Andhra became an epicentre of Buddhism in South India. Mahayana too grew simultaneously. The two most renowned Buddhist centres arose in Amaravati, in Guntur district of Andhra 30 km (19 miles west of Vijayavada and Nagarjunakonda also in Guntur district 175 km (109 miles west of Vijayavada. Amaravati means undying face. Amaravati is renowned for its Maha Chaitya or ‘Great Stupa’. Amaravati, in past, was the most impressive Buddhist settlement along the Krishna river valley with ample water facilities for agriculture, marble deposits of red, green, white, silver, yellow and all colours the rainbow and Chunar sandstones ideal for sculpture. In fact, all the Asokan pillars are of Chunar sandstones obtained from Andhra. The people too were very industrious. Today, nothing remains of this great Stupa except for a low earthen mound. In its days of glory, it was reputed to be the largest and most elaborate Stupa in South India. In fact Tamil Nadu was not even in the Mauryan Empire or Gupta Empire of ancient times. It was just a fishing settlement with no glory as regards Hinduism or even sculpture and architecture. Only site of sculpture is the seaside small area of Mahamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) which has a small stone-built Hindu Temple, devastated by the 2006 Tsunami and now restored. It is not a favourite Hindu shrine for the Hindus of Tamil Nadu even today. Amaravati Stupa Amaravati Stupa was built by the Satavahanas, the great Andhra dynasty, keen promoters of Buddhism all over India, in the third and second centuries BC. The Maha Chaitya was enlarged several times by the Ikshavaku kings, who succeeded the Satavahans. They were also keen promoters of Buddhism. Made in local white limestone, the Maha Chaitya was an earthen hemispherical mound about 45m (118 feet) in diametre and more than 30m (98 ft) in height, including the supporting drum (medha) and capping final, it was surrounded by 26m (20 ft0 high railing, with posts and cross architraves, and lofty entrance gateway sat the cardinal points, all exuberantly carved, similar to the great gateways of the Great Stupa at Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh). In the fifth century AD, when Hinduism in South India was revived, the Stupa was totally abandoned. It was in oblivion until a British official, Mackenzie, began excavating the site in 1796. Unfortunately, by the time a thorough investigation began in mid 19th century, most of the limestone potions had been pillaged. Many pieces had been shipped to Britain. Nevertheless, a great deal of fine sculptures remains at the site. They are on display at the Archaeological Museum of the Archaeological Survey of India next to the Maha Chaitya. Unlike the Stupa at Sanchi, where the Buddha is represented through symbols like wheel, Bodhi tree, stupa and footprints, the Amaravati sculptures depict the Buddha in human form. It was initiated by the Gandhara sculptors around fourth century AD. The museum’s display includes large standing Buddha images, some more than two metres high. The poses are natural and elegant with fluted robes - it suggests the influence of the Roman classical art. The second gallery has a remarkable life-sized ceremonial bull. Amaravati Sculptures The surviving carvings from the Maha Chaitya are now divided among the Archaeological Museum at Amaravati, the Government Museum in Chennai and the British Museum in London. It is best if the Archaeological Survey of India negotiates with the British Museum and obtain them to be displayed at Amaravati Museum, as these belong to Indian heritage. These items testify to the vitality of early Buddhist art traditions in South India. Posts and railings show ornate lotus medallions, friezes of garlands carried by dwarfs and also Jataka stories, the life and times of the Buddha as a Bodhisatva performing the ten virtues through numerous millennia. Drum panels are adorned with pots filled with lotuses, and reconstructed in 1980. In Indian tradition, lotus flower is the symbol of knowledge or wisdom of a great being. A part of the stupas railing, decorated with scenes from the Buddhas life, is reconstructed in the courtyard. Other exhibits include an instructive model of the original monument and superb sculptures of the Bodhi Tree of Buddha Gaya, where the Buddha attained Enlightenment. Hindu Amareshvara Temple Overlooking the Krishna river, regarded holy dedicated to Lord Krishna of the Hindu pantheon, just north of the museum is the Amareshvara Hindu Temple built during the 10th and 11th centuries AD and renovated in the 18th century by a local chief whose statue stands in the outer hall. The sanctuary and the open-clomped hall are in a walled compound. A basement, reached by a flight of steps, is believed to contain the remains of an early Buddhist stupa, suggested by the pillar Hindus prefer to identify as a phallus symbol (lings) in the sanctuary. It was most probably a part of stupa dome (medha). Nagarjunakonda Stupa Nagarjunakonda is situated in the Guntur district, 175km (109 miles) west of Vijayawada. Nagarjunakonda means ‘Nagarjunas Hill’. Once a sophisticated Buddhist settlement, with large monasteries and stupas, wide roads and public baths, it was established in the third and fourth centuries AD, when the entire area flourished under the powerful Ikshavaku, committed patrons of Buddhism. Thereafter, Nagarjunakonda was ruled by a succession of dynasties, culminating with the Vijayanagar rulers, he built a fort around the Buddhist ruins. When the Vijayanagar Empire declined, the area was abandoned. It was rediscovered by the Archaeological Survey of India, Andhra Pradesh unit only between 1954 and 1961. In the early 1960s, when the huge Nagarjuna Sagar Dam was being constructed across the Krishna river, a number of these rediscovered ancient Buddhist settlements were threatened with submersion. However, the Archaeological Survey of India salvaged and reconstructed many of them, brick by brick on top of the hill where the citadel once used to stand. Presently, most of the hill and the secluded valley in which these Buddhist settlements once stood, have been submerged by the waters of the Nagarjuna Sagar Lake. Only the top of the hill, where the rescued remains have been reassembled, juts out like an island. The island is accessible by launches, which leave regularly from the small village of Vijayapuri on the banks of the lake. On the island, the path from the jetty leads first to the Simha Vihara. This comprises a stupa built on a high platform with a pair of chaitya grihas (prayer halls) adjoining it. While one of the chaitya grihas houses a second stupa, the other enshrines a monumental sculpture of the Standing Buddha, like the Avukana Standing Buddha image of Sri Lanka. The Bodhi Chaitya has a raised stupa contained within a semi-circular ended brick structure. To its west is the Maha Chaitya stupa with a diameter of 27.5m (90 ft) was one of the largest at Nagarjunakonda. Its internal rubble walls radiate outwards like the spokes of a wheel and are filled with earth. Just ahead of it is the Swastika Chaitya, named after the Indian Swastika emblem formed by its rubble walls. Near the citadel walls is a stone megalith, some 2,000 years old. It conceals a simple burial chamber that one contained four skulls. To its east is the Archaeological Museum, which houses superb Buddhist sculptures from the ruins of Nagarjunakonda. They include limestone and panels carved with seated Buddhas, flying celestial beings (apsaras) and miniature replicas of stupas. Friezes from the railings which surrounded the stupas depict scenes from the life of Gotama Buddha. Among the free-standing sculptures are dignified Buddha figures dressed in elegant robes. More structures from Iksha vaku period are reassembled 15 km (9 miles) South of Vijayapuri. These include a Stadium with tiered galleries probably used for musical and the rival performances and sporting events. The adjacent Monastic Complex has monasteries and stupas as well as a refectory stores and baths. Rediscovery of Amaravati Since the times of the Buddha in the sixth century BC all monasteries were built around 20 to 30 kms away from human settlements, in secluded area with good tree cover to provide calmness and serenity for monks to meditate away from the noisy cities and habitations. Buddhism went into oblivion since the 12th century AD, the very words of the Buddha had ceased to exist in the minds of the people. The tree gods reigned supreme and made them trees clad habitations for animals, tigers, leopards, elephants, lions et al. The people unaware of the history of these sites, pulled down the stupas and buildings and took away bricks to construct houses. Thus all ancient Buddhist sites became thick jungles. Young Britishers around the ages of 17 to 25 years got employed in the East Indian British Trading Company in Bengal or joined the army to serve in India. They were not archaeologists. On their eventide shikaris (hunting expeditions) having seen large mounds of rubble, brick and stone, being curious to know what was inside these minds dug them and to their great amazement they fund sculptures, inscribed plates, and images. The leading surveyor and map-maker of the East India Company was Colonel Mackenzie. Drawn to India by an interest in Indian mathematics, firstly enlisted in the British Madras Infantry in 1783, before transferring to the Engineers to become a military surveyor. Colin Mackenzie as spon as he set foot in Madras, he had begun to formulate plans to write a history of India – but the war against Tipu Sultan and the French in Pondicherry South India, the conquest of the maritime regions of Ceylon 1795-96 and the subsequent Colonel Mackenzie, as the years passed became increasingly single-minded, using his purse and his position to secure for his private collections every curio that come his way, be it ancient coin, engraved copper plate, manuscript, statue or carved stone frieze. In 1787 while surveying on the borders of Madras and Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) Mackenzue received reports that the slabs of finely carved stone were being used by for some construction work by a local princeling, the Raja or Chintapalli, to build a new town out wide the temple of Shiva. Colin Mackenzie arrived at the village of Amaravati, to find Rajas workmen digging into a vast circular hill well over five hundred feet in circumference with a solid core composed entirely of bricks. A section of the lower rim of the hill had been exposed and revealed a wall of finely-carved stone unlike anything he had seen before. ‘The Rajah’ noted Mackenzie,’ eagerly came over to inspect the place, and perceiving that it was the most curious of the several mounds he had caused to be opened, conceived that it might conceal something of value; as most places so marked are generally the receptacle of hidden treasures. The Rajah ordered the Muslims living there to move elsewhere, as he designed to form a garden there, and a reservoir in the centre. There was nothing Mackenzie could do, so he contended himself with noting the name of the place (Amaravati) and moved on. In the meantime British forces had captured the Java Peninsula and Mackenzie had to proceed there to make maps of the newly acquired region with him was a civil servant named Stamford Raffles. Having done their duty Mackenzie and Raffles returned to India. By now Colin Mackenzie was the Surveyor-General of the Madras Presidency. Along with Raffles he on orders commenced mapping this newest British possession. One of the first fruits of this survey was the discovery in the caldera of an extinct volcano at the very centre of the island, of a mound many times larger than that of Amaravati. The next Orientalist who visited Amaravati, Walter Eliot of the Madras Civil Service in 1845, found every fragment of former excavations had been carried away and burnt into lime. Later Captain Edward Fell visited Amaravati. He was particularly interested not only of sculptures recovered by Mackenzie in 1817, and his inquiries led him to a disused coach-house and saw these reliefs abandoned. Mackenzies original reports too were recovered as regards what he had seen at Amaravati. Connections However, no attempt was made to visit Nagarjunakonda which was in a thick jungle and it came to light only after India independence by the Indian archaeologists. A young brahamin well-versed in the Vedas and with a high sound, hailing from Morandacetaka in Andhra Pradesh had visited the Sinhala monastery in Buddha and had been chanting the Vedas at a very high tone. The incumbent of the Vihara had asked what he was about. Then he had told all the Sinhala scriptures in Sri Lanka are faulty and he wants to render them correctly in Pali. The incumbent monk had advised him to proceed to Mahavihara at Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka for his proposed project. Then the monk had ordained him and given the name Buddhaghosha, as he was making a huge ghosha or noise. He had come to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Mahanama (409-431) and after being tested by the Mahavihara erudite monks he was provided with the copies of the Sinhala scriptures. He had studied them carefully and wrote a large number of commentaries on Tripitaka in Pali. His most outstanding work is the Visuddhimagga, a huge volume, which was in 1950s translated into English by the English monk Bhikkhu Nanamoli and published by the Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Thus for the first time Ven. Buddhaghosha, pioneered in Sri Lanka the writing of commentaries (Atuwa and Tika). Mahavamsa records a Bodhigara (half-wall around) Anuradhapura Sri Mahabodhi. However, this tradition is one that commenced in India as observed with Bodhigara at Amaravati and Amaravati probably sculptors commissioned by the near by region of Andhra Pradesh, world renowned then as now for sculptural arts. In the Vahalkadas, points of entry of Abhayagiri and Jetavanarama Viharas, carvings are similar to those at Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda, which are more older than the Sri Lanka carvings. These probably had been done by Andhradesa sculptors commissioned by Sri Lanka kings. Even inscribed marbel sheets too found in Sri Lanka are of the Andhra tradition. Recently, a Buddha image of about six feet in height made of Andhra marbel was found in Anuradhapura district Mahailuppallama. Most of the images discovered in the courtyard of Anuradhapura Ruwanweliseya and various other Chunar sandstone images, are directly executed and brought to Sri Lanka in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Sri Lanka has no marbel or Chunar sandstone deposits. In fact the Samadhi Image of the Buddha appears to have been sculpted by Andhra sculptors, who were brought to Sri Lanka by Arahant Mahinda after introducing Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century. Mahavamsa records this statue to have been sculpted during the time of King Devanampiyatissa in the 3rd century. This statue was called Urusilapatima (stone image). In India, there was no necessity to depict the Buddha in human form, until the Gandharam tradition of the 4th century AD, as people have seen Buddhist monks. But in Sri Lanka, the figure of a monk is entirely new to the people. Even king Devanampiyatissa on meeting Arahant Mahinda at Missakapabbata, asked him who he was. As dutch Arhant Mahinda would have thought it an proper to have Buddha image sculpted to introduce Buddha to the people. All in all the sculptural arts of Sri Lanka are not indigenous but introduced to Sri Lanka by Andhra sculptors. Presently, a standing Buddha image, similar to the one at Bamiyan in Afghanistan dynamited by Taliban Muslim, is being sculpted on a rock face in Ridigama Kurunegala and initiated by the chief incumbent of the particular vihara. An Andhra entrepreneur of the Isvaram establishment hailing from Andhra Pradesh has brought down 50 sculptors from Andhra for the ongoing work. In fact the Sri Lankan surnames such as Andradi, Andhrahewa etc are people of Andhra descent. Then there are place names such as Andiambalama, Andigoda, Anamaduwa etc., very early settlement of migrants from Andhra. In fact in Buddhist places of worship like Kandy Sri Dalada Maligawa, and Kandy and other places there are saree women palm readers. They are gypsiesm but Andhra people, speaking Telegu and in Sri Lanka, from distant days. In the Kandyan royal court there was the jester Andare. He too is a man from Andhra. Then we have in Sri Lanka a tree called Andara, which branches but from a very low section of tree, highly thorny and growing like a great but that had been brought from Andhra and planted on the borders of forests to obstruct the elephants breaking into fields and households. It is better precaution to plant such trees in fence model close to one another on the birds of forests, rather than having electricity fences. A young Sri Lankan monk (32) years, Ven Hingulwala Piyaratana, there post-graduate of Kelaniya University, pupil of the Mahanayaka of the Udarata Amarapura Nikaya Most Venerable Malagammana Chandajothi Maha Nayake Thera, read for his doctorate in theology at Andhra Pradesh University and Oklahoma City University and his Doctoral Thesis is ‘Sanskrit Language in modern Sri Lanka. Thesis submitted to Andhra Pradesh University in Sanskrit script and his supervisor of studies in the Andhra Pradesh University was Prof Rajni Lakshmi, Head of the Faculty of Oriental Studies. He submitted his Doctoral Thesis in English to the Oklahoma City University. The convocation is due in Oklahoma City University in June 2013. I too had the privilege to contribute the little I know of Sanskrit studies in India and Sri Lanka. (Sri Lanka of course during the colonial era when Sri Lanka was Ceylon). Ven Piyaratana is the chief incumbent of Sri Bodhiraja Vihara, Bodhiraja Mawatha, Buwelikade, Kandy. - See more at: dailynews.lk/features/inspiring-buddhist-saga-andhra#sthash.kefXBJj5.dpuf
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 13:39:26 +0000