Aduru Buddha Stupa, Andhra Pradesh

Address

Aduru Buddha Stupa Mamidikuduru Road, Mamidikududru, Andhra Pradesh 533247

Diety

Buddha

Introduction

Adurru is a village and a 2nd-century CE Buddhist archaeological site in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located in the Mamidikuduru Mandal, on the western bank of Vainateya, a distributary of the Godavari river, around 9.5 km from the Bay of Benga, Adurru was a flourishing Buddhist Centre 2,400 years ago Ruins of a Buddhist stupa at Adurru. This place in Adurru has a once impressive Maha-Sthupa, assumed to be constructed on the orders of Princess Sanghamitra, daughter of Emperor Asoka the Great, on her way to propagate Buddhism in Sri Lanka Because of the remote location of the village & lack of awareness & partial excavations (coupled with a probable cost-benefit analysis), there is evidently little that the ASI or State Government could do about this site. Hence, the locals and few enthusiastic Buddhists formed a trust to protect this site. to some extent with banyan trees and a little pond of water lillies. The ruins of a large stupa (maha-stupa), besides other artefacts, have been discovered at the site. A 2015 The Hindu news report, citing the historical evidence found by ASI, claims that the foundation stone for the Adurru Buddhist structure was laid by Sanghamitra, the daughter of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, on her way to Sri Lanka. In contrast, Garima Kaushik in a 2016 comprehensive list of Buddhist stupa sites in Andhra Pradesh and nearby regions, dates this monastic archaeological site to about 2nd-century CE.