BUDDHIST CAVE SHELTERS
CONTEXT:
- Recently the cave shelter is discovered on the Rudragiri hillock, which has remnants of a Buddhist monastery, in Guntur district.
ABOUT DISCOVERED BUDDHIST SHELTERS:
- Remnants of a Buddhist monastery established during the Satavahana period have been discovered on the Rudragiri (Red Hill) at Orvakallu village in Atchampet Mandal of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh.
- Notable findings at the site were pottery and rock shelters.
- Dhanyakatakam or Dharanikota was the capital of Andhra Satavahanas dynasty founded by Vadireddy Venkatadri Nayudu.
FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY:
- The survey had helped expose and identify hitherto unknown ancient remains of Buddhist monasteries and a big rock shelter located on the top of the Rudragiri.
- The badly ruined brick built structural remains of an ancient Buddhist Vihara complex were found dating back to the 1st Century CE or 1st Century AD.
- This monastery flourished during the Satavahana period.
- A carved Padmasila or moonstone made of limestone was also discovered in a broken State.
- Another interesting finding is a natural cistern on the slopes of the hillock for harnessing and storing rainwater for drinking purposes.
ABOUT SATVAHANAS:
- The Satavahanas also referred to as the Andhras in the mythological Puranas, were an ancient Indian dynasty based in the Deccan region.
- The Satavahana kingdom mainly comprised the present-day Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra.
- At different times, their rule extended to parts of modern Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.
- The dynasty had different capital cities at different times, including Pratishthana (Paithan) and Amaravati (Dharanikota).
- The origin of the dynasty is uncertain, but according to the Puranas, their first king overthrew the Kanva dynasty.
- In the post-Maurya era, the Satavahanas established peace in the Deccan region and resisted the onslaught of foreign invaders.
- In particular their struggles with the Saka Western Satraps went on for a long time.
- The dynasty reached its zenith under the rule of Gautamiputra Satakarni and his successor Vasisthiputra Pulamavi.
- The kingdom had fragmented into smaller states by the early 3rd century CE.
- The Satavahanas were early issuers of Indian state coinage struck with images of their rulers.
- They formed a cultural bridge and played a vital role in trade and the transfer of ideas and culture to and from the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the southern tip of India.
- They supported Hinduism as well as Buddhism and patronised Maharashtri Prakrit literature.
SYLLABUS: PRELIMS, CURRENT AFFAIRS