Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/mWvQuC8AJqE
References: https://drs.nio.res.in/drs/bitstream/handle/2264/8579/Man_Envi_44_49a.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Kalingapatnam is a village and panchayat located in
the Gara Mandal of Srikakulam district. Kalingapatnam beach located on the coast of Kalingapatnam
where Vamsadhara River empties into Bay of Bengal. Located around 30 KMs from
Srikakulam, in Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh.
Kalingapatnam was a major seaport in pre-11th century
India, particularly active in the ancient times linking coastal Andhra and
Odisha with southeast Asian ports.. The port was equipped with a lighthouse
constructed by the British, where exporting of goods such as perfume and
textiles took place, before being closed during British Rule. The beach is also
known as “Open Road Sea”, due to
road ending in the sea shore bed.
After Asoka's violent conquest of Kalinga and by the
3rd-century CE, competing Buddhist schools had established many centers and
monastic sites in Kalinga region. Three of these were along the Vamsadhara
river – Dantapuram, Salihundam and Kalingapatnam.
The kalingapatnam Buddhist Stupa is a 26 meter
diameter large stupa, with a wheel shaped architecture similar to the one at
Nagarjunakonda and Bhattiprolu. The stupa has 3 concentric circles with spokes
connecting them. At the center is a square hub, and the site has a smaller
stupa (8 meter diameter), a vedika, and Ayaka platforms. The stupa is situated
around 3 KMs from the port, and the approach road of around 500 meters is not
at all maintained, and vehicle cannot move there.
The archaeological excavations have also unearthed
Vajrayana and Mahayana Buddhism-related items from southeast Asia and China of
various periods, of which the most recent ones can be dated between 7th and
10th-century. This suggests that the Buddhist activity in Srikakulam district
continued through the late 1st millennium CE.
The brick size and shape found in the Kalingapatnam
stupa matches other Indian sites that can be dated with confidence to the 1st
century CE. The Kalingapatnam site is therefore tentatively dated to sometime
in or after the 1st century.
Legends
and History (link above)
In ancient times
Kalinga extended between the Rivers Ganges and the Godavari and several
dynasties ruled over the region in different periods of history. Indravarman
and Hastivarman, the Eastern Ganga kings, have referred to Kalinganagara as the
capital city of Kalinga situated near the sea in their respective Chicacole
grant and Narasingapalli plates. From this evidence, it can be inferred that Kalingapatnam,
the capital of Kalinga,was situated along the sea coast. Scholars have
postulated different places as Kalingapatnam (Rao 1971-72). While Fleet
suggested the location of Kalingapatnam on the bank of the River Vamsadhara,
Andhra Pradesh and the Raghuvamsa and Dasakumara Charitra narrates the capital
of Kalinga situated on the seashore. In order to trace the antiquity of
Kalingapatnam, excavations were carried out by the Archaeological Survey of
India (ASI) in the stupa mound of Kalingapatnambetween 1977-78,1978-79 and
1979-80 and the excavations brought to light a 26.5 m diameter brick built
stupa with hub and wheel plan, and 3.5 m wide pradakshinapatha paved with
bricks and plastered with lime, but without railing. There was an entrance on
the west side where post holes were found which suggest either a doorway or
wooden frame was provided to the entrance (IAR1979-80: 11). The stupa of
Kalingapatnam can be dated to the first and second centuries BCE based on
architectural features, and the stupa is comparable with Bhattiprolu (IAR
1977-78: 14) and Nagarjunakonda. The other finds include Megalithic Black and
red ware, red ware, dull red ware, chocolate slipped ware, Black polished ware,
Rouletted ware (RW)(IAR1961-62: 96),Knobbed ware (KW), etc.(IAR1978-79: 66).
The pottery consists of bowls, dishes, carinated vases, cups with wide mouth
and sprinklers. The findings of pottery of Kalingapatnam suggest that the
pre-stupa occupation could be dated between 3rd century BCE and 4th century
CE, and there were no other remains below the stupa level. Most of the findings
of Kalingapatnam are confined between Kalingapatnam site and Nagarlapet
village.
Temple
Timings
Photography and Parking
No issues with Parking or photography. Do take time and click
photographs/Videos.
Drones can be easily used without any issues too, but suggestion would be
to use from outside the temple from a distance.
Stay and
Accomodation:
Srikakulam and Rajam are the nearest cities and
town. Rajam has a very good JJ Innotel hotel which is a very reasonably priced
hotel with good rooms. The food in the restaurant is also very good. Do try the
Masala Dosa for just Rs 50 and awesome in taste. Rajam is a good place to stay
as its more centrally located from where multiple locations can be accessed.
Route and Location:
Staying at
Rajam, and covering these two locations, the route followed was:
