User:Ganeshg

The ancient site lies 5 km. to the North-West of Amaravati on the Paler river, a tributary of the Krishna about 5 km. North of their union. The site was known as Betavolu in the past and was renamed as Jaggayyapet by the zamindar of Chintapalli who reconstructed the village.

History During the excavations in 1818, a few carved slabs from one of the brick mounds revealed the existence of a group of ancient stupas. After excavation, the stupa was found to be 9 meters in diameter and was decorated with slabs of the same material used in Amaravati. Inside the casing the stupa is made completely out of bricks and earth. About a kilometer from the town is a hill known as Dhanabodu or Hill of wealth on which once stood a great Stupa or Mahachaitya. Around the hillock are traces of monastic buildings.

Monuments & Antiquities A Mahachaitya filled with layers of rubble & gravel two feet thick. The slabs surrounding the base of the stupa were plain very few of them having any carving except a small pilaster up the edge. Some of the sculptures on the pilasters closely resemble in style of Bharhut sculptures. The capitals are heavy and roughly bell-shaped and show addorsed double-winged animals like that at Patalkhora. Some of the slabs were inscibed in characters of Mauryan type ascribable to the beginning of the 2nd century BC.

How to Reach 70 kms from Vijayawada in Krishna District. From Vijayawada Jaggayyapeta is well connected by bus and there are frequent buses from Vijayawada. Private transport is also available.