4KM from the Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple is a village called Undavalli. A village you probably will not take notice if you did not knew it existed.
This small and little known Village, on the banks of the river Krishna is home to caves built in 3rd Century AD for Buddhist Bhikshus. Most of the people(including the locals) do not seem to know about these caves. We had to ask quite a few people to get there.
The caves are very old and they are carved in stone from small hills surrounding the site.
This small and little known Village, on the banks of the river Krishna is home to caves built in 3rd Century AD for Buddhist Bhikshus. Most of the people(including the locals) do not seem to know about these caves. We had to ask quite a few people to get there.
The caves are very old and they are carved in stone from small hills surrounding the site.
One of the most interesting things in these caves is the presence of a a 17foot statue of "Anantha Sayana" (one of the many forms of Lord Vishnu) on the 3rd floor.
The information provided by ASI also mentions that there used to be a 9 KM underground tunnel from this site to the Mangalagiri Temple.
This place is definately worth a visit and there seems to be little information about these caves on the internet.
The Archaelogical Survey Of India is doing a good job maintaining this place. The place is usually empty with very little visitors.
Interesting ! There are many such places with rich heritage and history in India. Good to know that ASI is maintaining it well and you've blogged about it !
ReplyDeleteAmar,
DeleteYes, very well maintained by ASI. No crowd = neat place. Worth a visit. Do check it out if you are in the area.