Lower Kṛṣṇā Valley (13): Sankaram

[Location: Sankaram (Lat 17042’N Long 8302 E, Anakapalle Taluk, Viśākhāpatnam District)]

Sankaram village in the Anakappalle taluk of Viśākhāpatnam district^[1] was an important centre of Buddhism. To the north of Saṅkaram are two hills locally called Bojjannakoṇḍa and Lingalakoṇḍa which contains Buddhist relics on the top.

Scholars are not unanimous regarding the time frame of the structures on the hill top. R. Sewell on the basis of two lined inscription with Brāhmī character placed the beginnings of the Buddhist kśetra at Saṅkaram around 2^nd century C.E. But A. Rea opined that the Buddhist structures on the hill top goes back to the 2^nd century B.C.E or before it. In this regard it may be mentioned that the Buddhist remains on the twin hills were discovered by A. Rea in 1907. Rea suggested that the structures are crude and primitive. The crudeness suggests early origin or a period of later decadence. But such early date is not accepted by the presence of Buddha image in the caves and niches (PL 9d).

Bojjannakonda is the richer of the two hills. The monuments on this hill include caves, stūpas, caityagṛhas, vihāras, monasteries and votive stūpas. Rockcut votive stūpas are found on Lingalakoṇḍa^[2]. With the exception of the Mahāstūpa, none of the stūpas in the site has projection and the āyaka platform. This is unlikely in the stūpas of lower Kṛṣṇā valley. In addition to it seals, sealings, tablets, coins, pottery and a coin of Samudra Gupta are reported from Sankaram.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Das D.Jithendra, Op.cit, pp 45-46

[2]:

Ghosh A (ed) 1959, Indian Archaeology-A Review, 1958-59,, p 102