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Nagarjune Sagar and Nagarjuna Konda

On the river Krishna, easily accessible by a good road and only 150 Kilometers from Hyderabad, is the Gangetic multipurpose Nagarjuna Sagar Dam under completion. Measuring 123 metres, it will be the tallest masonry dam in the world.A busy little town, by the namo of Vijayapuri has grown up around the (lam. The dam itself has been named after the great Buddhist Saint, Acharya Nagarjuna.Situated equidistance, only .ibout 24 Kms. from the Nagarjuna Sagar 1)am and Macharla, lies Nagarjuna Konda. I lere are seen the ruins of the Mahastupa which enshrined the mortal remains of the Buddha.This is said to have been built (luring the time of ASOKA and was later renovated by Santi Sri and other ladies of Ihe local IKSHVAKU Royal family who were responsible for the spread of Buddhism in Andhra during the third century. Nagarjuna Konda was once an important .incient city and here several monasteries were built which were visited by Buddhist monks coming from Ceylon, Gandhara, China and Kashmir.Hundreds of beautiful sculptures have been found, all in Amaravathi style. Sculptures, inscriptions and other objects of Roman origin have proved that the people of Andhra had trade relations with Ihe Romans and with other parts of the world.As the site would have been submerged by the construction of the dam, rll the monuments have been lifted to the lop of a hill, which stands right in the midst of the reservoir. This makes it an island museum. It is an unique and the first of its kind in the world.Nagarjuna Sagar called Vijayapuri in ancient times, is an important Buddhist site, located 150-km. From Hyderabad. Nagarjuna Sagar is named after the Buddhist saint Aacharya Nagarjuna. One of the outstanding Buddhist civilization dating back to the 3rd century AD were excavated here and are carefully preserved on a picturesque island called Nagarjuna Konda, situated in the centre of a man-made lake. The excavations have brought to light the Mahachaitanya, the most sacred of the Stupas. An inscription in Brahmi characters states that the sacred relies of Lord Buddha lie within the Mahachaitanya. Other excavations have unearthed the remains of a university, Vihara, monasteries and an 'Aswamedha' sacrificial altar, as well as prehistoric finds in the form of tools from Paleolithic and Neolithic times. During the building of the Nagarjuna Sagar dam- world's largest masonry dam, the ruins of an ancient Buddhist university were excavated. These have been carefully reconstructed at Anipu the east bank of the reservoir, a feat similar to the Abu Simbel effort in Egypt. The museum at Nagarjuna Konda has a model of the now submerged valley and the environs.

Overview :Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is the world's tallest masonry dam which is built across Krishna River in Nagarjuna Sagar. It is a 1 km long dam with a height of 124 metres. The construction of the dam was completed in 1966 with a total expenditure of 1300 crore, and the dam water was released by Indira Gandhi in 1967. It is one of the earliest hydro-electric and irrigation projects of India and is currently serving Nalgonda District, Prakasham District, Khammam District and Guntur District of Andhra Pradesh by providing water to the farmers for irrigation. Its hydro electric plant has a power generation capacity of 815.6 MW with 8 units.

Attractions : The Nagarjuna Sagar Dam itself is a great attraction. Nagarjuna Sagar is one of the most popular tourist spot and Buddhist centers in Andhra Pradesh. The place derived its name from a known Buddhist scholar Nagarjuna. The Ethipothala waterfalls in Nagarjuna Sagar is a jubilant of the power and beauty of Nature. Nagarjuna Konda a unique island museum situated in the midst of the man made Nagarjuna Sagar. The Sunkishala Temple and Somalingeswaraswamy temple in Nalgonda district are notable sites and sacred to Hindus

Anupu: To prevent submersion of the outstanding structures in the valley, a rare feat of reconstruction of the remains was taken up. Anupu, 4 km from the dam site, was chosen for relocation of a Buddhist University.Nagarjunakonda: As the area was threatened with submergence by the reservior, an Archaeological Survey team made determined efforts to virtually trasplant nine monuments from the valley onto Nagarjunakonda.The hill forms an Island in the middle of the reservoir. A museum at Nagarjunakonda contains, Buddhadatu or Buddhas relics excavated from the valley.

Tiger sanctuary: The largest wildlife sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh lies between Nagarjunasagar and upstream Srisailam. Spreadover 3,500 sq.km, it encompasses thickly wooded hills in five districts - Nalgonda, Kurnool, Mahboobnagar, Guntur and Prakasam.
Nagarjuna Sagar was called Vijayapuri (city of victory) in ancient times. Nagarjuna Sagar is named after the Buddhist saint Acharya Nagarjuna. Present day Nagarjuna sagar area has three settlements, Vijayapuri (commonly referred as V. P. South), Pylon and Hill colony. V. P. South is home to many well known educational institutions in the state like Andhra Pradesh Residential Junior College (APRJC) and Andhra Pradesh Residential Degree College (APRDC). The steam boat service to Nagarjuna Konda (Konda in Telugu means hill) is available from Launch station located in V.P.South.