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The 125-feet-tall Dhyana Buddha statue erected on the banks of River Krishna near Amaravati village in Palnadu district
| Photo Credit: T Vijaya Kumar
The statue of Dhyana Buddha erected on the banks of River Krishna near Amaravati village in Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh stands out as a tourist spot in the district because of its iconic art work.
Many tourist attractions
The 125-foot-tall Dhyana Buddha is gaining popularity as a spiritual destination for local and international pilgrims, it is also drawing history enthusiasts to the districts.
The statue is erected near an ancient Buddhist stupa, famous for the carved pillars and the archaeological museum which houses ancient Buddhist artefacts, including relic caskets, a gold necklace and gold flowers which are great attractions.
The Amaralingeswara Swamy temple in Amaravati town is also among the tourist spots visited by many touring Amaravati.
Regulla Mallikharjuna Rao, Director of the Andhra Pradesh Department of Culture, was instrumental in establishing the statue and developing the park around it across 4.5 acres.
Mr. Rao said three galleries were built near the statue, showcasing depictions of Amaravati sculptures, which are scattered across the land, the life history of Buddha, stages in Buddhism, and other culturally important aspects of the religion.
Crowd-puller
In 2006, the Dalai Lama donated ₹45 lakh while the ‘Kalachakra’ ritual was organised. The Amaravati stupa nearby had attracted over one lakh devotees when the ritual was held.
P. Mani Kumar, Unit officer of the Dhyana Buddha project said the construction of Buddha Vanam near the statue is also completed and is awaiting formal launch. An amenities centre, a centre for meditation, laser show and other constructions have been completed with the help of the Central funds, he said and added that Buddhist monks have been regular visitors to the place.
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