Thotlakonda

Thotlakonda Buddhist Complex is situated on a hill near Bheemunipatnam about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, India. The hill is about 128 metres (420 ft) above sea level and overlooks the ocean. The Telugu name Toṭlakoṇḍa (తొట్లకొండ) derived from the presence of a number of rock-cut cisterns hewn into the bedrock of the hillock. “Thotlakonda" may also mean “hill of cisterns.” In 2019, the stupa was partially damaged due to monsoons, but it was restored by 2021 at the cost of Rs 42 lakh.

Thotlakonda was well within the influence of Kalinga, an important source of dissemination of Buddhism to Sri Lanka and various parts of Southeast Asia. Also, it was one of the ports of entry for pilgrims arriving via th sea to visit prominent Buddhist places located near the 83.3 degree Meridian East. Thotlakonda's history provides an insight into the process of transoceanic diffusion of Indic culture, especially Buddhism.

A hill on the sea coast with a salubrious (healthy) climate was an ideal attraction for the Buddhist monks to build a monastery complex. The placid sea, sheltered by the deeply curved coastline, provided a safe haven for anchoring ships. Buddhist sites such as Thotlakonda, Sarnath, Kushinagar and Lumbini lie very close to the longitudinal 83.3 degrees Meridian East. People coming to India by sea to visit important Buddhist sites looked for the

Archaeological site data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).