Bojjannakonda The eastern hill of Sankaram village is recognized as Bojjannakonda which hosts a Maha Stupa surrounded by a huge group of monolithic Stupas along its rock cut platform. The dome of the main Stupa is made of bricks whereas the surrounding Stupas are composed of bricks and rocks. At the foot of the hill, an idol of Goddess Hariti has been found by the archaeology department. Apart from this, the hill also houses six rock-cut caves, some of which have sculptured panels. Each of the panel has the images of seated Buddha and his attendants. Towards the north of the Maha Stupa, terraced Chaitya Grihas are present. These are believed to be the monasteries of the Buddhist monks. In ancient times, several Buddhist monks used to worship here for which it was known as 'Buddhuni konda' which refers to 'hill of the Buddha'. But later over time, the place came to be known as Bojjannakonda. The place is also an important centre for the huge celebration of Vaisakha Pournami. Lingalakonda Lingalakonda is the western hill of Sankaram village. It houses numerous rock cut small Stupas. Excavations in this region have also furnished several antiquities. The common artefacts that have been discovered from Lingalakonda include terracotta figures, terracotta beads, terracotta inscribed tablets, coins of gold, copper and lead, copper and lead seals and many more. During the growth of Buddhism several learning centres were established in various regions of the country, some of which can be witnessed in Bojjannakonda and Lingalakonda too. With the revival of Hinduism the significance of these centres however started to fade out. |