Sankaram
Anakapalle, Anakapalli, Andhra Pradesh
- Description
Situated on the banks of River Sarada, Sankaram is a widely renowned Buddhist heritage spot. It is noted for the Buddhist sites of Bojjana Konda and Lingalakonda, which date back to the period between the 3rd and 4th centuries. The place once served as an important centre of Buddhist culture and teaching. Sankaram gets its name from the word Sangharama, which means monastery. The site houses numerous monolithic stupas, caves and structures. Excavations carried out at the site also revealed old coins belonging to the Satavahana period, coins from the time period of Samudra Gupta and clay tablets of Lord Buddha. The caves found here have been adorned with carved statues of Lord Buddha. Bojjana Konda was unearthed by a Britisher named Alexander Rea in 1906 and is named after a seated image of Lord Buddha. Sankaram lies at a distance of 21 km from Visakhapatnam and makes for an intriguing exploration.
