VIJAYAWADA: River Krishna’s journey through the past 2000 years finds eloquent expression in a set of paintings done by an artist to mark the ongoing Kirishna Pushkaralu. Historian, artist and executive director of the Tou-rism department Regulla Mallikarjuna Rao has painted the history, culture and heritage of the river through the past centuries. His works explain the legacy of King Gautamiputra Satakarni, the “greatest” ruler in this region after Emperor Ashoka.
Mr Rao, also the architect of Dyana Buddha statue, said Amaravati was recorded one of the 30 great cities during the period 150 BC to 150 AD by a traveller, Pahyan. The boats shown in the paintings refer to the transportation system during the Danyakatakam period and to what is now Amaravati, while Gautamiputra’s army, shown below the boats, was symbolic of the expansion of his territory.
Rao’s placement of the Ashoka Damma Chakra below the army was to show that Buddhism flourished during Gautamipu-tra’s rule. A person seated below the Chakra is Nagarjunudu, Gautamiputra’s guru, with Gautamiputra to his left. Above him is his mother, Balasri, who inspired him to become a strong ruler. There is a coin shown to the left of Gautamiputra, indicating that during Gautamiputra’s tenure as king, he had released silver coins for the first time in the region’s history. Below the coin, a group of people are shown playing guitars, and this is to indicate that the king was a patron of culture, Mr Rao added.
