An Encyclopaedia of Indian Archaeology v2.c40.67

v2.c40.67

Most of the *stūpas* were wheel-shaped on plan, the number of spokes varying from four, six, eight to ten, and had *āyaka* platforms surmounted by five *āyaka* pillars at four cardinal directions. The wheel-shaped plan, which may be the outcome of a long series of experiments in different parts of, India, including Andhra, reached its perfection here. In the construction of such *stūpas*, the like of which is the Dharmarājikā Stūpa at Taxila of the first century A.D., the architects successfully translated a sacred Buddhist symbol into an architectural entity, besides attaining constructional perfection. That ideology influenced the plan of the *stūpa* was evident from the example with *svastika* inset in the centre (Sites 20, 59, 108). But not all *stūpas* of Nagarjunakonda, and for that matter, of the entire Andhra country, were wheel-shaped on plan or had *āyakas*. For example, the one of the Mahāvihāravāsins (Site 38) had a solid construction without the *āyaka*-platforms. Quite a good number of *stūpas* yielded relics [12.8] and may therefore be called *śārīrika* (corporeal) *stūpas* but isolated ones (Sites 15A, 16 and 22) may belong to the *auddeśika* type. Many *stūpas* had their drums and other parts encased with exquisitely sculptured slabs depicting episodes from Buddha's life, Jātaka stories and sometimes even scenes of secular import. Some were built on a raised platform (Site 4), whereas in some (Site 3) a railing either carved or uncarved was also provided. In sculptural wealth some (Sites 2, 3, 6, 9, 32A, etc.) may rival any site in India; in fact taken collectively the Nagarjunakonda phase represents the culmination of the Krishna valley art that had its beginning at AMARAVATI in the second century B.C.