DESTINATION

Nagarjunasagar, a massive irrigation project on the River Krishna, about 150 Km from Hyderabad, has a rich and interesting past. It was a valley in the Nallamala range of the Eastern Ghats with civilizations dating back to thousand of years. Recorded history, however, assigns the first signs to the later Satavahanas and subsequently the Ilkshvakus in the third century.

The Sriparvata and Vijaypuri of yore were really temples where the famous savant and Bhuddist disciple Archarya Nagarjuna preached the message of the Buddha.

The historic location takes its name from the Buddhist saint and scholar Acharya Nagarjuna who is said to have set up a centre of learning here. Today, Nagarjuna Sagar is home to Nagarjuna Sagar Dam - the world's tallest masonry dam that irrigates over 10 lakh acres of land.

It was during the building of the dam that the ruins of an ancient Buddhist civilisation were excavated here. Some of the relics unearthed have been carefully preserved on a picturesque island called Nagarjuna Konda, located in the centre of a man-made lake. The vestiges of a sacred Buddhist
stupa, vihara, monastries, a university and a sacrificial altar have been carefully reconstructed at Anupu on the east bank of the reservoir

Anupa: To prevent submersion of the outstanding structures in the valley, a rare feat of reconstruction of the remains was taken up. Anupu, 4 Km from the dam site, was chosen for relocation of a Bhuddist University.

Nagaujunakonda: As the area was threatened with submergence by the reservoir, an Archaeological Survey team made determined efforts to virtually transplant nine monuments from the valley onto Nagarjunakonda.

The hill forms an island in the middle of the reservoir. A museum at Nagarjunakonda contains Buddhadatu or Buddist relics to virtually transplant nine monuments from the valley onto Nagarjunakonda.

Tiger sanctuary: the largest wildlife sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh lies between Nagarjunasagar and upstream Srisailam. Spread over 3,500 sq.kms, it encompasses thickly wooded hills in five districts- Nalgonda, Kurnool, Mahboobnagar, Guntur and Prakasam.