First Century Buddhist Pillar Unearthed in Prakasam

Prakasam: A Buddhist pillar, believed to be dating back to the first century AD, was found in Chandaluru village of Janakavaram Ponguluru mandal of Prakasam district in Andhra Pradesh.

According to E Sivanagi Reddy, a Buddhist Scholar and CEO, Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati (CCVA) a leading web portal that the villagers came across the pillar while carrying out the work for building a Shiva temple.

Reddy says that the pillar is carved on Palnadu limestone, which is typically used in Buddhist structures. He also notes that Hindu deities found in the region are typically made of red stone, black stone or other materials, whereas the use of Palnadu limestone clearly marks the pillar as a Buddhist construction.

The pillar is considered noble in Buddhism and is one of the five pillars that were erected in the four cardinal directions of a Buddhist Stupa.

It is not the first time Buddhist pillar has been excavated from Andhra Pradesh. In 2017, a first century Buddhist site from the same period had been discovered on the top of a remote hill in Putlagudem village of Guntur district.

Another third century Buddhist sculpture had been found in Guntur last year. There are many Buddhist sites in Andhra Pradesh, including the Ghantasala village in Krishna district.

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