Ancient Buddhist Center Unearthed Near Khammam, Telangana: A Major South India Discovery

• Nelakondapalli, Khammam, reveals a massive Buddhist Mahastupa, one of South India's largest, now a key tourist attraction.
• Buried for centuries, systematic excavations from 1977-1990 uncovered a 54-foot high, 138-foot diameter brick stupa, resembling Sarnath's.
• Evidence from the Ikshvaku dynasty (3rd-4th centuries) includes Buddha statues, ancient coins, viharas, and water tanks.
• Nelakondapalli boasts a multicultural heritage, also being the birthplace of Bhakta Ramadasu and linked to the Mahabharata's Agyatavasa.
• Telangana government plans a 2.5 crore rupee development, including a museum, meditation hall, theme park, and boating, to boost tourism.