Wonderment!

A beautiful beach road connects Visakhapatnam to the historic town of Bheemli, from where we had a marvelous view of the sea and the curved coast line. 16 km from Visakhapatnam, beside the beach road, lies Thotlakonda, an ancient Buddhist site, at a height of 128 meters on an eagle shaped hill top near the village of Mangamaripeta. Spread over a vast expanse, the relics of a Buddhist Complex lies uncared for.

Except for a grand Welcome arch, a pucca road and a small park developed around a serene statue of The Buddha, the site, by itself is neither imposing like the ruins of Hampi, nor informative for a Buddhist sect, which is almost extinct.

But one Research student brought it all to life. He provided information and detailed interpretation, his sincerity and enthusiasm made up for the complete absence of any records or memorials. Unfortunately, I am unable to recall his name, but shall always remain indebted to him, as a teacher. To awaken one’s curiosity and instill a yearning to learn more is a wonderful but rare skill, both in a guide and a teacher!

Thotlakonda was first discovered as a result of an aerial survey by the Indian Navy. Excavation at this site was undertaken between 1988 and 1992. It revealed a bustling Hinayana Buddhist complex, between the years 200 BC and 200 AD. It was a part of the Kalinga region, from where Buddhism spread to Sri Lanka and Burma.

We were able to identity the remains of a number of Stupas, Chaityas, Viharas, a kitchen and resting place of Monks. The excavations revealed Satvahana lead and Roman silver coins, indicating foreign trade. Traces of Terracotta tiles, stucco decorative pieces, sculptured panels, stupa models in stone and Buddha padas were also visible. There are many rock cut troughs for holding water. Probably the Telugu name Thotlakonda is derived from the words, Thotti meaning tub and Konda meaning hills names.

The whole expanse consists of brick structures, barely above ground level. Of course the area is in need of attention and development. Yet I was thankful and grateful to note that the land had not been greedily usurped by the land sharks.

After the death of The Budha, we learnt in a history lesson in class eight, that Buddhismm was divided into two schools of thought, the Hinayana and the Mahayana. The Mahayana, which literally means a large vehicle, has followers in China, Japan, and Korea and their main focus is on Meditation, Chanting and Teacher-Student dialogue. They were the later disciples who introduced idol worship among theBuddhists.

In contrast, The Hinayana sect adhered more to the concept of four noble truths and eightfold path. For them the worship of deities was secondary. Hinayana, also referred to as Theravada (the school of the elders) when translated, literally means Small Vehicle or  little raft. The focus of this sect is on the Four Noble Truths and the eightfold path. The Main adherents were in Southeast Asia

The Hinayana philosophy was propagated by King Kanishk. Also the ancient Chinese travelers, Hieun Tsang  and Fahein, both mention only Hinayana Buddhism.  The significance of the Lotus in Buddhist sites is interesting. This flower represents awakening or enlightenment. In its closed position it only has potential. The sacred books of the Hinayana Sect is written in Pali and the teachings are more orthodox. Their monks did not believe in idol worhip, they strictly followed hundreds of rules and adopted a lifestyle of asceticism, which in our time can hardly be imagined, let alone practiced by ordinary humans. Thus, according to this view, no form of real Hīnayāna Buddhism survives today. This is one reason why the great ancient Buddhist complex at Thotlagonda needs to be brought alive!