Bhattiprolu
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Bhattiprolu (भट्टीप्रोलू) is a village in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The Buddhist stupa in the village is one of the centrally protected monuments of national importance.[1]
Variants
- Bhattiprolu भट्टीप्रोलू, जिला Guntur (गंतूर), आ.प्र., (AS, p.654)
- Bhatti Prolu
- Pratipalapura
Location
Bhattiprolu village is located in Bhattiprolu Tehsil of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh, India. PIN code of Bhattiprolu village is 590426. It is situated 60km away from district headquarter. Repalle is nearest town to Bhattiprolu which is approximately 15km away.[2]
History
The original name of Bhattiprolu was Pratipalapura, a flourishing Buddhist town in the ancient Sala kingdom that predated Andhra Satavahanas. From available inscriptional evidence, King Kuberaka was ruling over Bhattiprolu around 230 BC. Bhattiprolu is well known for its Buddha stupa (Vikramarka kota dibba) built about 3rd-2nd century BC.
The stupa and the script: Three mounds were discovered in Bhattiprolu in 1870. In 1892 when excavations were undertaken by Alexander Rea, three inscribed stone relic caskets containing crystal caskets, relics of Buddha and jewels were found.[3] The stupa was found to be 40 meters in diameter with an additional basement of 2.4 meters wide running all around. The most significant discovery is the crystal relic casket of sarira dhatu of the Buddha from the central mass of the stupas. The Mahachaitya (great stupa) remains of a large pillared hall, a large group of ruined votive stupas with several images of Buddha, a stone receptacle containing copper vessel, which in turn, contained two more, a silver casket and within it, a gold casket enclosing beads of bone and crystal were found.
One of the earliest evidence of Brahmi script in South India comes from Bhattiprolu.[4] The script was written on an urn containing Buddha's relics. The script has been named the bhattiprolu alphabet. Historians surmise that this script gave rise to the Telugu Script and kannada script.[5]
"A manual of Krishna District – in the madras presidency: 1883" mentions Public Works Department at that time having demolished beautiful marble pillars, central casket and used the remains in the sluice flowing 2 miles east of Bhattiprolu.[6]
Dr Naval Viyogi[7] writes ....It is crystal clear that tooth relics of Buddha was not taken to Ceylon earlier than 310 or 313 A.D.[8] and these relics were in the Maha stupa of Bhatti Prolu and Nagarjuna Konda. But three years later or in 313 AD the kings of Ceylon sent a holy priest to bring away these relics from Majerik[9], which was miraculously effected in spite of the opposition of the Nagas.
भट्टीप्रोलू
विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[10] ने लेख किया है ...भट्टीप्रोलू (AS, p.654), जिला Guntur (गंतूर), आ.प्र., में स्थित है जो बौद्ध कालीन स्तूप के खंडहरों तथा अन्य अवशेषों के लिए यह स्थान विख्यात है. ईस्वी सन के पूर्व के कई अभिलेख भी यहां से प्राप्त हुए हैं जो मासकी के अशोक के शिलालेख के अतिरिक्त, दक्षिण के प्राचीनतम अभिलेख माने जाते हैं. एक अभिलेख में कुबिरक नामक आंध्रा नरेश का उल्लेख है. इसकी तिथि 200 ई. पू. के लगभग मानी गई है. शायद इसी आंध्र-नरेश को सर्वप्रथम ऐतिहासिक आंध्र शासक समझना चाहिए. विद्वानों का विचार है कि भट्टीप्रोलू का बौद्ध स्तूप आंध्र में अमरावती तथा अन्य प्राप्त स्तूपों के अनुरूप ही रहा होगा.
External links
References
- ↑ "Centrally Protected Monuments". Archeological Survey of India.
- ↑ https://villageinfo.in/andhra-pradesh/guntur/bhattiprolu/bhattiprolu.html
- ↑ Sajnani, Manohar (2001). Encyclopaedia of tourism resources in India. New Delhi: Kalpaz Pub. p. 66. ISBN 978-81-7835-018-9.
- ↑ http://www.buddhavihara.in/ancient.htm
- ↑ "Epigraphist extraordinaire". The Hindu.
- ↑ Mackenzie, Gordon (1 January 1883). A Manual of the Kistna District in the Presidency of Madras. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 9788120605442.
- ↑ Dr Naval Viyogi: "Nagas, the Ancient Rulers of India, their Origin and History", Originals, Delhi, 2002, p. 392
- ↑ Cunningham A. "Ancient Geography of India.", P.-452.
- ↑ Cunningham A., Cunningham Alexander, "Ancient Geography of India.", P. - 450.
- ↑ Aitihasik Sthanavali by Vijayendra Kumar Mathur, p.654