Comfortably Numb

Sheila Kumar's Storehouse

Published on: 11/18/18 3:49 AM

Travel: Thotlakonda, Andhra Pradesh

 

 

History on a hill

Thotlakonda in Andhra Pradesh is today a hazy hark-back to its glorious Buddhist traditions

 

It’s a hot day, a very hot day in fact. The sun glares down mercilessly and I`m glad of the foresight to have carried a hat. There is a strong breeze blowing, though, carrying the sea air inland.

I`m standing on a vast plain that stretches in front of me, dotted with shrubs and tussocks, bricks and stones; this is debris of antiquity. And that is because I`m at Thotlakonda, 16 km from Vizag, on the road to Bheemunipatnam/Bheemili. Thotlakonda is an ancient Buddhist seat of learning that dates back to 2,000 years.

 

To reach this expansive plain, I had to access a hill of modest proportions. Apart from a stone gateway that welcomes visitors to Thotlakonda, there is virtually nothing to indicate that this is a heritage site, no stone plaques, no signposts, nothing. For the nth time, I muse on how difficult it is for a tourist straying off the beaten path in India. I resolve to now look about me and later Google the site…thank heavens for Google!

Then, as I start to walk across, I come upon the steel frame and parts of a signboard with Thotlakonda facts on it, now twisted and torn. Even as I stand staring at it, a man comes up to me literally from nowhere. He is both guard and guide, he informs me, and tells me the frame was blown across many yards when the notorious Hudhud cyclone hit these parts.

As I walk to the edge of the plateau, which is 420 feet high, sprawls over 127 acres and overlooks the Bay of Bengal,  I`m transfixed by the sea. At this time of the day, it`s a gentle but giant lull of water the colour of gunmetal, with some fishing boats bobbing not too far out. I can see the houses of Mangamaripeta village, and the extremely picturesque Rishikonda Beach,  down below.

 

The name can be and is interpreted in two ways. Thotti is Telugu for tub, konda is hill. Local lore has it that the hill is shaped like an eagle’s head; thotla means eagle. Where the first interpretation is concerned, there are any number of rock-cut cisterns that spring from the bedrock of the hillock. Clearly, the bhikkus, Buddhist monks,  who stayed here did not suffer from water problems. There are the remnants of large and small water tanks, some of them holding fetid water today.

There is a strong Kalinga connect. About 2,000 years ago, Thotlakonda was a Buddhist monastery, preaching and practicing Hinayana Buddhism.  Over the ages, the monks died, moved away, Hinduism gained ground, and the place fell to ruins.

 

Years later, in the mid-70s in fact, the entire region was being aerially surveyed with a view to setting up a naval base, and the ruins were spotted. Shortly after, excavations helmed by the Andhra Pradesh State Archaeology Department began at the site.

Our guide, gaining in enthusiasm by the minute, shows me the Maha stupa,  remains of the chaityagriha, dormitories (there were apparently believed to be some  100 bhikkhus living here), viharas, a refectory, ruins of what must have been an efficient drainage system, sundry sculptured now chipped stone panels, and the ubiquitous slab with Buddha`s footprint.

What catches my eye and holds it, though, is that little bunches of white and purple wildflowers grow merrily amidst the ruins, dotting the landscape with pastel hues. As if to offset that pretty picture, tangles of bush and shrub grows unchecked all around.

Our guide tells us the place was known in its heyday as Senagiri; Sena in Pali standing for `elder/superior.` Some after-visit reading reveals that the site also threw up lead pieces dating back to the Satavahana/Andhra dynasty and excitingly, Roman coins too, a clear indication that some sort of trade existed here.

This Buddhist monastery/school flourished between 200 BC and 200 AD, and the sea played a vital part in the scheme of things. The stupas,  their lime-plaster catching the gleam off the sea  in the daytime and illuminated by many rows of wick lamps during the night, might have served as guiding landmarks for those coming across the oceans to teach or study here. However speculative this sounds, it makes for a most pleasing picture in the mind`s eye.

The one abiding impression as I leave Thotlakonda is the immense peace and tranquillity the place holds, just as it must have done in its glory days.

Either I chose a good day to visit or this place does not rate too highly on the tourist circuit. That, though, is set to change, with plans for a tourist amenities centre here; this has predictably raised hackles among the environmentalists.

In all probability, the next time I visit, the place will be overrun with people, plastic and screaming kids.

All photos by Sheila Kumar and subject to copyright.

This ran in DECCAN HERALD of 18 Nov 2018.

Links to some other travel pieces:

Travel: Chikmagalur, Karnataka

Travel: Hampi, Karnataka

Travel: Red Earth Kabini Resort, Karnataka

Travel: Kokrebellur, Karnataka

Travel: Srirangapatna, Karnataka

Travel: To Sakleshpur in a camper

Travel: SwaSwara in Gokarna

Andhra PradeshBuddhist monasteryBuddhist ruinsDeccan HeraldThotakondlatraveltravelogueVishakapatnamVizag

Sheila Kumar • November 18, 2018


Previous Post

Next Post

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published / Required fields are marked *