AMARAVATHI

A small town on the banks of River Krishna, around 30 km from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, Amaravathi was the site of an ancient Buddhist settlement, known as Chintapalli. The stupa at this site was said to be bigger than the one at Sanchi, said to be  27 m high and  49 m wide. This stupa was built in the 3rd century BC during the reign of King Ashoka. All that remains of the stupa now is its circular base and a some parts of the surrounding stone railing. However, the neighbouring on-site museum has a model of the stupa and some of the intricate marble carvings, depicting Buddha's life. The stupa had once been guarded by gates at each cardinal point. Only one gate remains, which has undergone meticulous reconstruction. Nearby is located Dharanikota, where Lord Buddha once gave a sermon.
Amaravathi bloomed as the fountainhead of Buddhist art under the rule of the Satavahanas. To pay tribute to this, in 2015, about a kilometre away from the stupa, was inaugurated a 125 feet-high Dhyana Buddha statue.
The on-site Kalachakra museum (Amaravati Heritage Centre and Museum) displays items like relic caskets, gold necklaces and gold flowers. It includes collections from the 3rd century BC to the 12th century AD and has images of Buddha with lotus symbols on his feet, a head full of tight curls and long earlobes. Most of the sculptures have been removed from the stupa site and have been taken up for preservation by museums around the world. Many of Amaravathi’s best sculptures are in London’s British Museum and Chennai’s Government Museum. The stupa is currently under the protection of the ASI. The city is a part of the Government of India's HRIDAY (Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana) project.