Adurru Buddhist Site

Adurru Buddhist Site is located in the Mamidikuduru Mandal, around 9.5 kilometres from the Bay of Bengal. It is an ancient village in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Adurru was identified as a Buddhist archaeological site and is believed to have been established during the second century CE.

This ancient Buddhist village is spread across an area of 5.61 sq. km on the western bank of the Vainateya, a Godavari river distributary. This site has several ruins, artefacts, and more related to Buddhism. Find out more about Adurru Buddhist Site here.

About Adurru Buddhist Site

Adurru is home to an old Buddhist site, which is located on a mound known locally as Dubaraju Gudi or Dubaraju Dibba. The Adurru Buddhist site was first explored in 1925, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) named it a protected monument in 1955. Adurru Buddhist Site has immense relevance for Buddhist people.

Here is some more information about Adurru Buddhist Site:

• People used to slaughter cows at the mound during Dubaraju Teertham, a two-day annual celebration held on the 13th and 14th of January to commemorate Sankranti.
• When the remains were verified to be of a previous Buddhist site, the ASI took control of Adurru and prohibited all sacrifices.
• The Adurru Buddhist Site has been discovered with the ruins of a massive stupa (maha-stupa) and other items. In a list of Buddhist stupa sites in Andhra Pradesh as well as neighbouring regions published in 2016, this monastic archaeological monument has been dated to the 2nd century CE.

Significance of Adurru Buddhist Site

The world's top three Buddhist stupas were built first in Adurru, the second in Ranchi, and the third in Sarnath. Historical evidence discovered by ASI suggests that Sanghamitra, the daughter of Mauryan emperor Ashoka, placed the founding stone for the Adurru Buddhist site temple on her journey to Sri Lanka.

ASI excavated the following remains and artefacts from the Adurru Buddhist site:

1. Upa Stupas
2. Stupas
3. Chaityas
4. Viharas
5. Jars
6. Troughs
7. Dishes
8. Bowls

Adurru Buddhist Site - Stupa

• The Stupa at the Adurru Buddhist Site is shaped like a large wheel and has a 17-foot-diameter raised platform. The cardinal directions are marked by vedika (partitioning) structures as well as Ayaka (altars or offering platforms), which encircle the stupa.
• There are also some smaller stupas on the Adurru Buddhist site, which are built in the very same wheel-shaped pattern.
• According to historians, the Adurru Buddhist Stupa was built during the reign of the Indian monarch Ashoka, whose kingdom spanned most of the Indian subcontinent.
• Ashoka is credited with the construction of monasteries, stupas, and some other Buddhist structures throughout South and Central Asia, as well as the propagation of Buddhism throughout the region.
• The Adurru Buddhist Site is a location with multiple unearthed monuments that would set the pulses of history buffs racing. In 1953, the ASI took control of several excavated remains at the site, including Buddhist Stupas, Chaityas, and Viharas, and declared it a protected monument thereafter in 1955.

FAQs on Adurru Buddhist Site

Q.1) What is Adurru Buddhist Site?

Adurru is a 2,400-year-old Buddhist site in Mamidikuduru Mandal, East Godavari district, on the western coast of the Vainetaya, a tributary of the Godavari, about 9.5 kilometres from the Bay of Bengal. Adurru Buddhist Site covers a total area of 5.61 sq. km. and has a population of 4,145 people.

Q.2) When was the Adurru Buddhist Site excavated?

Adurru Buddhist Site was excavated in 1925 by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). After excavation, many ancient ruins of Buddhist stupas were found on this site. The Archaeological Survey of India proclaimed the Adurru Buddhist Site a protected monument in 1955.

Q.3) What are some of the artefacts excavated from the Adurru Buddhist site?

Some of the artefacts excavated from the Adurru Buddhist site include Upa stupas, Stupas, Chaityas, Viharas, Jars, Troughs, Dishes, and Bowls. Adurru Buddhist Site was an ancient Buddhist village that is believed to have been established in 2-century CE.

Q.4) Who set the foundation stone for the Adurru Buddhist site?

The foundation stone was set by Sanghamitra, the child of Great Emperor Ashoka, en route to Sri Lanka, according to historical data recorded by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Adurru Buddhist Site is now proclaimed as a protected monument.