Andra Pradesh > Guntur > Nagarjuna Konda
 
The island takes its name from the Buddhist monk, Nagarjuna, who lived around the turn of the 2nd century AD. Excavations carried out in its this valley have unearthed the Maha Chaitya, Viharas and Monasteries. Nagarjunakonda is 150 kms. from Hyderabad, the state capital of Andhra Pradesh.
Named after acharya Nagarjuna, a Buddhist Scholar, Nagarjuna Konda is a burning feat of both engineering and ancient Buddhist architecture. The site is a remake of another original, to save it from submersion, under the Nagarjuna Sagar dam. While the dam is one of the largest, the site also presents some of the most antique items of Buddhism. More than that it represents a lost civilization, rich and excellent, thousand years ago, in the same place where Nagarjuna Sagar dam is now situated. The excavations led to the findings of ruins of a university, some statues of Buddha, relics and other pieces of Buddhist origin. The museum at Nagarjuna konda houses all these precious findings which, are considered priceless, in terms of Buddhist sentiments and, not to forget, for the rest of the artistic people too. 
The ancient sculptures are thought to be built mainly during the Ikshvaku rule, which was the golden era for this region due to commercial and political success. Now, in the midst of the dam, it's like an artificial island, proudly representing the glorious past and the fabulous present. Nagarjuna Konda museum : The museum houses all the important excavated items including relics by Buddha himself, stone images, Jataka tales encrypted panels and many other inscriptions. Nagarjuna sagar waterfall : The dam, which caters to irrigation 10 lakh acres of land, is one of the largest man-made dams in the world. In the middle it contains the Nagarjuna Sagar Island which houses a museum.
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