Nelakondapalli

About 2 kilometers northeast of Nelakondapalli village is a large ancient manmade lake. Along it, midst the farms, are three sites locally known as Viratrajgadde, Erradibba and Byragulagutta. In the 1970s, the villagers accidentally stumbled upon portions of limestone panels and broken parts of a Buddha statue. They reported their findings to the state archaeological department – then under Andhra Pradesh, now Telangana. The state archaeology department undertook excavations between 1976 and 1985, over several seasons given the state's budget constraints.[6] These excavations uncovered one of the largest stupas (54 feet high, 84 feet inner diameter, 138 feet outer diameter) with a ring and spoke architecture. The entire site is about 200 meters by 200 meters, includes brick lined foundation of east-west and north-south oriented vihara complexes. The unearthed foundation were in two layers, the older layer below the upper layer, likely a repair and reconstruction in a later century. In addition to the foundation, numerous coins, panels, statue parts, figurines, and wares were found in the upper strata from Ikshvaku and Vishnukundin era, similar to those found in many other parts of India. These findings suggest that the Nellakondapalli Buddhist site was likely a monastery on a trade route, likely in existence before the 1st century CE according to some scholars, and active till at least the 4th to 5th century.[1][6]

One of the inscribed votive stupa discovered during these excavations is dated by Himanshu Prabha Ray between the 3rd to 4th-century CE.[7] According to Ray, the site should be dated to a bit later era based on the epigraphical evidence and the fact that ancient coins tended to remain in circulation for an extended periods of time. The Nelakondapalli site, states Ray, is of historic significance, and was one of many located along the trans-peninsular trade route of ancient Greater India, connecting the Krishna river valley to other parts of the Indian subcontinent. The other sites that traders and monks likely frequented via Nelakondapalli were Kondapur, Dhulikatta on their way to Ter and Paithan.[8]

Additional though limited excavations in and around Nelakondapalli has unearthed wares, coins, brick foundations, and similar evidence of a much larger ancient town where Buddhist and Hindu panels and artwork were produced. The discovery of hundreds of Satavahana coins which are commonly found in Deccan sites and of Ikshavaku coins that are rare in Telangana – southwestern parts of Nalgonda district being only other site – attests to Nelakondapallu's importance to the regional trade networks, economy and its ancient prosperity.[1]

Most of the major discoveries from the Nelakondapalli site have been relocated. A few inscribed pillars and broken parts are now in the modern era Hindu temples and a small village library.[1][9] Larger, more sophisticated, and damaged Buddhist and Hindu statues and artworks from Nelakondapallii were moved to Vijayawada museum and other locations, though since the early 1990s, the regional tourism departments have printed marketing brochures showing Nelakondapalli site with Buddhist and Hindu artifacts.[9]

Nelakondapalli was the birthplace of 17th-century Kancharla Gopanna, popularly known as Bhakta Ramadas. He was the builder of the Sree Seetha Ramachandra Swamy temple at Bhadrachalam, one dedicated to Sita and Rama of the epic Ramayana fame.[5] He was cherished by the Hindus of his time, and punished by the then Muslim officials. He was accused of misappropriation of revenue he collected in order to build the major Rama temple, instead of depositing it to the treasury of the Sultanate. He was then arrested under the orders of the Sultan of Golconda Abul Hasan Qutb Shah (Tana Shah, Tanishah).[5] He served several years in Golconda Sultanate prison, where the Hindu god Rama appeared in a dream per a local legend. Gopanna was released from the prison when someone donated the disputed amount to the Sultan. Gopanna's contributions to Bhadrachalam and the regional Hindu community is commemorated every year in a festival at Nelakondapalli and Bhadrachalam as Bhakta Ramadasa Utsavalu.[5]