Thotlakonda Buddhist Complex to open new interpretation centre in Visakhapatnam

Contents

Objects that speak
A hill discovered
Sustained monastic life

The ancient Buddhist complex at Thotlakonda, dating back to the second and third centuries BCE, is poised to receive a new public interface with an interpretation and amenities centre adjacent to the core site. The centre, expected to open to visitors from March 1, seeks to present excavated remains and archival material in a manner that allows the hilltop Buddhist complex to speak with greater clarity to contemporary audiences.

The excavated remains on display at the newly built Interpretation Centre at the 3rd century BC Buddhist site of Thotlakonda in Visakhapatnam. The centre, developed to showcase artefacts and explain the site’s historical significance as an ancient monastic complex overlooking the Bay of Bengal, is set to be opened to the public soon.
| Photo Credit:
KR Deepak

Located about 15 kilometres from Visakhapatnam city near Kapulauppada on a wind-brushed hill overlooking the Bay of Bengal, Thotlakonda has long remained a quiet yet significant marker of the region’s maritime and Buddhist past. The site, under the State Department of Archaeology and Museums, has long drawn tourists, scholars and school students.

R Phalguna Rao, assistant director, Archeology and Museums Department, Visakhapatnam, explaining about the new Interpretation Centre at the 3rd century BC Buddhist site of Thotlakonda that will soon be opened for public in Visakhapatnam.
| Photo Credit:
KR Deepak

The new centre houses nine principal exhibits mounted on pedestals, along with other structural fragments that were earlier kept in storage or left exposed at the site. The new centre attempts to consolidate those fragments into a coherent public narrative. The initiative was steered by Visakhapatnam District Collector M N Harendhira Prasad, who revived and completed the project after earlier construction activity had stalled. In 2025, ₹9 lakh had been sanctioned by K S Viswanathan, the then commissioner of the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority, for construction of the building. Work had slowed thereafter until the district administration renewed focus and brought the structure to readiness.

One of the excavated remains on display at the newly built Interpretation Centre at the 3rd century BC Buddhist site of Thotlakonda in Visakhapatnam. The centre, developed to showcase artefacts and explain the site’s historical significance as an ancient monastic complex overlooking the Bay of Bengal, is set to be opened to the public soon.
| Photo Credit:
KR Deepak

R Phalguna Rao, Assistant Director in the Department of Archaeology and Museums, Visakhapatnam, notes that nearly 20 photographs documenting the excavations of the late 1980s and early 1990s will line the walls. “The intention,” he says, “is to create a space where visitors may understand the context of the remains rather than encounter them as isolated stones.” A modest book and souvenir counter and a refreshment stall have also been planned.

Objects that speak

Among the most arresting exhibits are two Buddhapadas or carved footprints of the Buddha. History chronicler Jayshree Hatangadi points out that these are unusually spare. “In many later representations, Buddhapadas bear elaborate iconography such as wheels, lotuses and auspicious symbols. The Thotlakonda specimens display minimal ornamentation, suggesting a phase before such visual vocabulary became widespread,” she says. Their restraint offers valuable insight into the early aniconic traditions of Buddhism, when symbolic presence preceded anthropomorphic depiction.

A view of the new Interpretation Centre at the 3rd century BC Buddhist site of Thotlakonda that will soon be opened for public in Visakhapatnam.
| Photo Credit:
KR Deepak

Another notable piece is a Bharavahaka, a stout male figure that once lay in the open at the site. Scholars interpret the figure as an emblem of service and reverence, possibly representing the communities whose labour sustained the monastic establishment. The sculpted ear ornaments and attire provide clues to clothing practices of the period.

The remains of Muchalinda, the serpent king who is believed to have sheltered the meditating Buddha beneath his hood, also occupy a pedestal. The fragment retains the coiling form and the suggestion of multiple hoods, evoking a narrative that has travelled across Buddhist art traditions. A Deepastamba and a sculptural representation of Kanthaka, the horse associated with Siddhartha’s renunciation, further widen the interpretative frame. Together, these pieces extend the conversation from monastic routine to the broader cosmology and storytelling that shaped early Buddhist communities.

A hill discovered

A view of the 3rd century BC Buddhist site of Thotlakonda where an interpretation centre is coming up in Visakhapatnam. The centre, developed to showcase artefacts and explain the site’s historical significance as an ancient monastic complex overlooking the Bay of Bengal, is set to be opened to the public soon.
| Photo Credit:
KR Deepak

The scholarly account of Thotlakonda’s discovery traces back to an aerial reconnaissance by the Indian Navy, which was surveying the northeastern coastline for a prospective naval base. The unusual contours of the hill drew attention, leading to ground exploration and eventual excavation. Researchers V V Krishna Sastry, B Subrahmanyam and N Rama Krishna Rao documented the findings in detail.

Between 1988 and 1992, five field seasons of excavation exposed the brick and stone remains of a principal stupa, several votive stupas, stone platforms and structural outlines of residential quarters. Artefacts recovered from the trenches included early historic pottery such as tan ware and black and red ware, Satavahana and Roman coins, Brahmi-inscribed labels, inscribed chhatra fragments, terracotta and glass beads, bangles, stucco fragments and sculptural pieces. The material record suggested sustained occupation and participation in trade circuits that linked the region to wider maritime routes.

Following its identification, the hill was declared a protected monument under the Andhra Pradesh Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1960. Some architectural fragments were gathered and placed near the main stupa mound, though many remained without explanatory support. The interpretation centre attempts to address this gap by situating individual objects within a coherent narrative.

Sustained monastic life

According to Phalguna Rao, the complex reflects a flourishing Hinayana Buddhist settlement that remained active for nearly four centuries. The hilltop location, overlooking the Bay of Bengal, would have allowed monks to observe maritime movement while maintaining contemplative seclusion. Water management systems carved into the rock, residential cells, dining hall and assembly spaces indicate an organised monastic routine rather than a transient habitation.

The new centre assembles early sculptural fragments, contextual photographs and concise explanations and seeks to provide an entry point for school students, researchers, and tourists who might otherwise struggle to interpret scattered remains.

A nominal entry fee of ₹20 for adults and ₹10 for children has been cleared for access to the core area. The Department of Archaeology and Museums is now awaiting corporate CSR support to operationalise the ticketing and entry infrastructure.

Published – February 27, 2026 10:59 am IST

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