An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v2.c40.66

v2.c40.66

More than 30 Buddhist establishments (Sites 1-9, 14-15, 15A, 16, 20-24, 26-28, 30, 32A, 32B, 36, 38, 43, 51-52, 54, 59, 85-86, 105-106, 108) belonging to various sects like the Aparamahāvinaseliya (Sites 1, 9) and Bahuśrutīya (Site 5) of the Mahāsāṅghika Order and Mahīśāka (Sites 7, 8) and Mahāvihāravāsin (Site 38) of the Theravādin Order were exposed. These monasteries were spread throughout the valley except the river-bank. The earliest of them was the *mahā-caitya*, Site 1, built in the 6th regnal year of Vīrapuruṣadatta, for the monks ot the Aparamahāvinaseliya sect. In the beginning this sect did not accept the idea of image-worship but after a period of about three decades some of its adherents built a monsterty (Site 9) where an apsidal chapel enshrined the image of Buddha. The simple layout consisting of the principal *stūpa* and *vihāra* attained considerable elaboration at the latter site, the monastic establishment of which consisted of a *stūpa*, two apsidal shrines, one meant for the *stūpa* and the other for the image of Buddha, a pillared hall surrounded by a three-winged *vihāra* and two small *stūpas*. Some of the evolved monasteries (Site 85) had two chapels—one oblong and the other apsidal—each enshrining an image of Buddha. Not all monsteries accepted the idea of worshipping the image of Buddha, for the establishment of the Mahīśāsakas (Sites 7, 8) was without it. Incidentally Nagarjunakonda also yielded circular image shirnes, the best example of which came from Site 24, associated with a memorial pillar (*chāyā-stambha*) of Śrī-Vammabhaṭṭa, the Śaka mother of Rudrapuruṣadatta.