STUDIES IN EARLY BUDDHIST MONUMENTS AND BRAHMI INSCRIPTIONS OF ANDHRADESA Studies in Early Buddhist Monuments and Brahmi Inscriptions of Andhradesa I.K. SARMA Foreword by Jagatpati Joshi Director Geoeral, Archaeological Survey of India, f New Delhi I MSU LIBRARY 13329 DATTSONS PUBLISHERS & PUBLISHER'S DISTRIBUTORS JAWAHARLAL NEHRU MARG, SADAR NAGPUR-440001 '© liK. Sarma, 1988 MB Printed in India ; Published by Vinod Nangia for Dattsons, J-Nehru Marg, Nagpur-440001 Printed at Print India, A-38/2 Mayapuri, Phase I, New Delhi-110064, DEDICATED TO &rlmati and Sri Potukuci Prabhakara ^d'stri Gdru, as a token of our esteem and affection on their SastyabdapUrtl day CONTENTS Preface :xi Acknowledgements xiii Foreword :xvii Bibliographical Abbreviations xix List o f Figures xxi List of Photos xxiii General Introduction: Buddhist Monuments in Andhra 1 Literary and Traditional Accounts. 1 Geographical and Historical Background. 5 Recent Archaeological Evidences from AmarSvati. 7 Va(^damanu and Other Sites. 11 Some Important Buddhist Sects found in Andhra: Their Spread. 13 Later Developments. 17 -1. Bhaftiprolu StQpa: Its Vdstu, Agamic Observances and Inscriptions : 30 Introduction. 30 Some Characteristics of the Stupa. 31 Vdstu and Agamic Observances. 32 Granite Stone Relic Containers, Their Placement, Characteristics and Inscriptions. 37 The Contents within GSRC I to III. 40 Some Unique finds within GSRC. 43 (a) Silver Punch Marked Coins in BS-5. 43 (b) Crystal Reliquary. 43 Palaeographical and Linguistic Features. 44 viii Studies in Early Buddhist Monuments andBrahmi Inscriptions of Andhradlso- Identification of the Toponym ‘Nandapura’. 46 Dating. 48 3. (i) Gufffupalle Rock-cut Caityas and Vihdras 57 Introduction 57 Rock-Cut Vestiges : 58 (1) Vrtta-Caitya. 58 (2) Vihdra Caves. 59 Cave at the South-East Tor. 61 A New Vihdra Cave. 61 (ii) Structural Stupas and Monastery at Guntupalle {Mahdndgaparvatd) 62 Circular Brick Caityagrha. 62 Stone Mandapa. 63 Limestone Mandapa and Structural Stupas in Stone (Middle Terrace) 63 Foundational Detail of a Bigger StUpa. 64 Four Limestone Pillars bearing identical Inscriptions. 65 A Bigger Mandapa of Limestone Pillars. 65 k^s,vdidX Buddha-Caitya. 66 (iii) Brdhml Inscriptions from Gurnupalle 67 (1) Location and Details of Discovery of the Inscriptions. 67 (A) Pillar Inscriptions assignable to 2nd-1st centuries B.C. 68 (B) Inscription on a Sopana stone leading to Circular Stupa-Caitya at the East. 71 (C) Inscriptions of lst-2nd centuries A.D. 72: (D) Inscriptions of Early 5th-6th centuries A.D. 78 (E) Inscribed Bronze Image of Bodbisattva- PadmapSpi. 82: (2) Geographical Identifications, Importance of the Epigraphs. 82' (3) Other Important References. 84 Contents i* 4.(A) Cavern with Inscription at Malekdnda, District Prakasam. 92 (B) Rock-cut Vestiges at Rampa Errampalem, District East Godavari. 93 5. Correlations 97 6. Appendix 102 A. Punch Marked Coins from Stupas of Andhra, 102 B, Buddhist Sites of Andhra Pradesh. Ill Select Bibliography 123 Index 127 PREFACE This work, “Studies in Early Buddhist Monuments and Brahml Inscriptions o f AndhradeSa, embodies an exhaustive account on certain important discoveries made by me at BhattiprOlu and Guptupalle. These sites exemplify two distinct trends in the Development of Early Buddhist Art and Architecture in South-East India. Apropos, an up- todate review of the Field work undertaken is provided in the first chapter. This simple but very comprehensive survey brings a unique picture of a vast creative and religious activity of the Buddhist in Ancient Andhra. Bhattiprolu Stupa (Dist. Guntur, Andhra Pradesh) and inscrip­ tions on the granite Relic containers therefrom, occupy an important place in the Indian Epigraphical Studies, thanks primarily to Alexan­ der Rea (1892) and George BUhler (1894). It was Alexander Rea who carefully retrieved them from the despoiled Stupa. Specially the ins­ criptions are among the most ancient, oft quoted and valuable to the students of Ancient Indian History. I have earlier noticed certain new features among the inscribed members of this place and placed them before the scholars, in a brief paper presented at the 8th Session of the Epigraphical Society o f India hosted by PrSchya Nikfitana, Bhopal in the year 1982. (Journal of Epigraphical Society of India, IX, Dharwar, 1983, pp. 23-25). Little attention was paid to collate the enormous field data recorded meticulously by certain distinguished British Scholars in the Archaeological Reports of the last hundred years on the Buddhist remains in Andhradesa. The central aim of the present endeavour is therefore briefly to examine this treasure metho­ dically in the light of the experience and knowledge gained in the Buddhist sites from the scientific field-archaeology of post 1950’s and later. In this attempt I thought of dealing with Bhattiprolu StUpa at first on account of its highly important material. In the subsequent *ii Studies in Early Buddhist Monuments and Brdhmt Inscriptions of Andhradlsa chapters I have taken up Malekd^da caverns and Inscription (Dist. Prakasam), Gun^upalle (Dist. West Godavari), and Rama-Errampalem (District East Godavari), in order to discuss in detail certain important discoveries I made during the years 1974-76, Keeping in view valuable field notes left with an insight by the erst while pioneers like Robert Sewell, AleJtander Rea and A.H. Longhurst, one can see from this study how by a multi-disciplinary approach the architectural wealth of a site can be correlated with fresh epigraphical finds and art depictions. Lastly an uptodate review of the discoveries made in Andhra Pradesh in respect of Buddhist sites is also appended to facilitate future studies. I.K. Sarma ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As in all other works of mine foremost help was received from the Archaeological Survey of India, my alma mater. The copyright of all the illustrations therefore rests with the Archaeological Survey of India. I am grateful to the former Directors General, Sarvalrl M .N . Deshpande, B.K, Thapar and Dr. (Mrs.) D. Mitra, for all the encouragement and sanctions to undertake works at Guntupalle and other sites mentioned in the text. Though the probes were smaller in scope, the results were rich and yielded a good crop of epigraphs and other antiquities. At Guntupalle Excavation-cum-Conservation pro­ gramme (1974-76), I was ably assisted by my former colleagues of the Hyderabad Gircle-Sarva^ri B. RaJa Rao and D. Hanumantha Rao <now Dy. Superintending Archaeologist’s respectively at Goa and Hyderabad Circle), Shri M.N. Prasada Rao (Dy. Superintending Archaeological Engineer, Bhuvaneswar Circle), A.V. Vasantha Rao (Conservation Assistant, Cuddapah) and R. Y. Krishna Rao, the young and dynamic Stenographer. All the fresh illustrations of Bhattiprolu appearing here were obtained through the kind courtesy of !§riyuts Harinarayana and Srinivasa Desikan, Director and Curator respectively, of the Govt. Museum, Madras. But for their special interest and generosity, it is impossible to prepare the accompanying illustrations of the priceless reliquaries of Bhattiprolu now in the Reserve Galleries of the Museum. The author is equally grateful to the technical experts like Sarvasri M.U. Qureshi and TTieagaraJan both accomplished Photographers of the Excavations Branch, Nagpur, and temple Survey (South), Madras. Similary I acknowledge the excellent work done by my colleagues Sarvasri J.N. Gandhi, Mohinder Singh, S.V. Sutaone, P.M. Bhope, Barapatre and Miss. Indira S. Pande of the Drawing section of the Excavations Branch(I) in preparing the text figures. My special thanks xiv Studies^ Early Buddhist Monuments and Brahmi Incriptions of Andhradis'a are due to Shri M.U. Qureshi and P.M. Bhope for the cover design and Layout of plates in a befitting manner. Shri N.K.S. Sharma, Stenographer has done the entire typing work very deligently. Shri J.N. David, Librarian Gr. I of the Branch has procured all references. All the above technical personnel of the Branch and Hyderabad Circle helped me spontaneously, as a matter of love for the subJect, during their spare time. Similarly I am beholden to Shri G.V. Srinivasa Rao, Dy. Superintending Archaeologist and: Shri S.K. Lekhwani for all the assistance while checking up the mss. and preparation of the Appendix, etc. I pay my respectful regards to Dr. K.M. Varma, Professor (Retd.), ^flntiniketan and Shri N.S. Krsna Marti a senior Advocate, Nellore, both reputed scholars, who inspite of their engagements, spared their valuable time, read the manuscript meticulously, corrected it and recorded their comments. The academic value of the work is substantially enhanced by their valuable criticism and suggestions. Sri ^ivalenka Radhakrishna, the Chief Editor of Bhdrati (a Telugu literary monthly) has been my patron for the past two decades. All my epigraphical researches and fresh discoveries were promptly published in the issues of Bhdrati from time to time. My debt to Bhdrati is immense and cannot be repaid. Similarly the Epigraphical Society of India, specially its learned Executive Editors (Past and pre­ sent), Drs. A.M. Shastry, K.V. Kamesh and S.H. Ritti have shown keen interest and extremely considerate to me in accepting for publi­ cation papers on epigraphs from Amaravati, Guntupalle, Bhattiprolu and others in the pages of their Annual Journal of the Society. To my teacher Prof. AJayamitra Shastry of Nagpur University, I have no words to express fully my grateful thanks. Sri M.C. JoshiJi, Joint Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi has been a source of strength to me in all my academic pursuits. Sri Jagatpati Joshi, Addl. Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, inspite of his official engagements spared his valuable time and beJewelled my work with a scholarly Foreword. My associa­ tion with Sri Joshi goes back to the time of our excavations at the famous Buddhist sites of NagarJunakonda (1957-59) and Pauni (1968- 69). lam deeply beholden to him as well as to M.C. JoshiJi. Acknowledgements xv At home Shri I.V.