Lower Kṛṣṇā Valley (6): Goli

[Location: Goli (Lat 16035’ N, Long 7903’E, Palnad Taluk, Gunṭur District)]

Goli is located on the bank of Gollaru, a tributary of Kṛṣṇā in the Palnad Taluk of Gunṭur district^[1]. Dr. G Jouveau-Dubreuil first excavated the site in 1926 and the results of his explorations were documented by T.N. Ramachandran in his book in 1929^[2]. The site was referred by J. Sewell under the heading Mallavaram (Mullawaram). Mallavaram is located at a distance of 3 miles west of the mound and a half a mile north-west of the Goli Village.

The site yielded the remains of a small decorated stūpa with limestone sculptures now preserved in various national and international museums. The style of carvings at Goli bear resemblance to the Nāgārjunakoṇḍa sculptures which in turn have common denomination of form to the sculptures of Amarāvatī. The similarity of the subject matter, the common gestures and postures of figures, costumes, the mithuna couples separating the scenes in the friezes are also seen in the art of Amarāvatī. However, the Goli sculptures suffer from rigidity and unsophisticated modelling.

Among the various sculptures from Goli some of the significant reliefs are that of Sasa Jātaka, Vessantara, Jātaka, Chaddanta Jātaka, temptation of Buddha, Nāga Muchalinda (PL 7b) and the subjugation of Nalagiri. The discovery of two pillars decorated with half lotus, medallions and a fragment of the stone parapet of the drum of a votive stūpa reveal the presence of the stūpa, maṇḍapa and a chaitya griha^[3].

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ramachandran T.N,1963 (Reprint), Buddhist Sculptures from a stupa near Goli Village, Gunṭur District, Madras, p 1

[2]:

Mitra Debala, Op.cit, p 210

[3]:

Stone Elizabeth Rosen, 1994, Buddhist Art of Nāgārjunakoṇḍa, Delhi, p 83.