Bojjannakonda is a famous Buddhist site at Sankaram, 3.5 km from Anakapalle and 41 km from Visakhapatnam.
The villagers, as a part of an ancient ritual, used to throw stones at a belly-shaped object at the site on the Kanuma day during Sankranti, believing it to be a part of a demon. After a sustained campaign by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), this ritual has been stopped successfully.
Facts
- Bojjannakonda and Lingalametta are twin Buddhist monasteries dating back to the 3rd century BC.
- These sites have seen three forms of Buddhism — the Theravada period when Lord Buddha was considered a teacher; the Mahayana, where Buddhism was more devotional; and Vajrayana, where Buddhist tradition was more practised as Tantra and in esoteric form.
- The name Sankaram is derived from the term, ‘Sangharama’.
- The site is famous for many votive stupas, rock-cut caves, brick-built edifices, early historic pottery, and Satavahana coins that date back to the 1st century AD.
- At the nearby Lingalametta, one can see hundreds of rock-cut monolithic stupas in rows. (Source: The Hindu)
