Seventeen
hundred years ago, Vijayapuri served as the capital of the Iakshvaku kingdom,
and was home to a centre of Buddhist learning.
Today, in its place flourishes Nagarjunasagar, a modern township named after
Acharya Nagarjuna, the founder and father of Mahayana Buddhism.
Relics of the Buddhist civilization found here, date back to the 3rd century
AD. The excavated remains were reconstructed and have been carefully preserved
at Nagarjunakonda, a unique island-museum in the midst of the man-made Nagarjunasagar
Lake.
The museum has been constructed in the shape of a Buddhist vihara and houses
a stupendous collection of relics of Buddha, Buddhist art and culture. The
main stupa called the Mahachaitya contains the sacred relics of Buddha.
The center of attraction is a partly ruined monolithic statue of Buddha
in a striking image of peace and poise.
The cultural remains of ancient man ranging from the prehistoric to the
Neolithic period, a university, vihara, monasteries, and an 'Aswamedha'
sacrificial altar dating back to the early historic period have been unearthed
here.
Most of the monasteries were built by the Royal Ladies of the Ikshvaku Kingdom.
During the construction of the Nagarjunasagar Dam, the ruins of an ancient
Buddhist University were unearthed here. These have been reconstructed at
Anupu, 4kms.away from the right bank of the reservoir.
What's more, a 3rd century vihara and an amphitheatre with fine acoustics
takes one back into history.