Thotlakonda Buddhist Monastery | 25 Oct 2019

Mahastupa of the Buddhist heritage site of Thotlakonda, which was reconstructed in 2016 by the State Archaeology department, collapsed recently.

  • It is 2000 years old monastic complex with remnants of stupas, chaitya grihas and viharas atop Thotlakonda Hill, Andhra Pradesh.
    • The Buddhist monks arriving from places like China, Burma and many other countries used to stay at this site for months before finishing their learning.

Stupas: These are Buddhist commemorative monument usually housing sacred relics associated with the Buddha or other saintly persons.

Chaityas: A Chaitya was a rectangular prayer hall within a stupa placed in the centre, the purpose was prayer.

Viharas: Viharas were the residences of the monks.

Source:TOI