2011_0711 Amaravati stupa

<p>Probably the oldest Buddhist center of south India. Abundant inscriptions and sculptures excavated from the main stupa show that the site reached a high period of construction between the 2nd century BCE and the 3rd century CE. A few bronze and stone sculptures of Buddha and Bodhisattvas also indicate the revival of Buddhist artistic production in the 6-8th centuries CE. The latest group of sculptures dated to ca. 10-12th centuries CE includes images of later esoteric deities such as Heruka. Epigraphic evidence in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia indicates that the site attracted Buddhist pilgrims as late as the 15th century CE.</p>