Chandavaram Buddhist Stupa To Be Developed As International Tourist Destination

The historic Chandavaram Buddhist Stupa in Prakasam district will be developed as a major tourist destination to attract international visitors, collector P. Rajababu said on Tuesday.

Rajababu, accompanied by AP state creativity and cultural commission CEO R. Mallikharjuna Rao and TD Darsi constituency in-charge Gottipati Lakshmi, inspected the ancient stupa and interacted with local residents.

Rajababu said the stupa was one of the important Buddhist sites in the country and stressed the need to preserve its historical and archaeological significance. He said the sculptures at the site would also be protected and comprehensive measures taken to develop the area as a tourist destination.

He said a consultant had been engaged to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the proposed development. Mallikharjuna Rao, who had studied Buddhism and played a key role in the design of the Buddha statue installed at Amaravati, was accompanying the team to help plan the project, he added.

Mallikharjuna Rao said Chandavaram had flourished between the 2nd century BC and 2nd century AD and described its stupa as the largest among the 150 stupas discovered in Andhra Pradesh. Its location along the historic route between Kashi and Kanchipuram and proximity to the Gundlakamma river added to its importance, he said.

He said researchers from abroad had also visited the site to study Buddhism. The government planned to develop Chandavaram and the nearby Tripurantakam temple as a tourist circuit, he added.

Gottipati Lakshmi thanked the collector and cultural affairs department officials for taking steps to preserve Chandavaram’s historical heritage and develop it as a tourist destination.

Archaeology department deputy director Suresh, assistant director Zareena Begum, tourism department assistant general manager Jayadev, RDO Vijaya Jyothi Kumari and other officials accompanied the team.