Nagarjunakonda Site 3

INDIA, Andhra Pradesh

When the Nagarjunasagar Dam was built in 1960, part of the site and the unearthed artifacts were moved to the top of a hill, which later formed an island in the middle of the reservoir. Most of the relocated ruins are stupas and monastery complexes, and among them is Site 3.
This site mainly consists of a series of foundation stones, which suggests that the original stupa and monastery were in a line from east to west. The base of the stupa is a square platform, with each side about 20 m long. The inverted bowl of the stupa body, which was 10 m in diameter, no longer exists. Its internal structure was constructed with brick; there remains a central square which was connected to the side of the inverted bowl by eight spoke-like walls.
At the center of the monastery there is a square main shrine supported by columns. Five cells are located on each of the north, east, and south sides. To the west of the main shrine there are two caityas facing each other, enshrining a Buddha statue and a stupa respectively. The life-size Buddha statue on the current site is a replica of the original one. It is probable that people often came here to pay respect to the Buddha.