The site of Amaravati in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh has attracted a great deal of scholarly interest for over two centuries. The stupa that once stood here was among the oldest and most splendid in the subcontinent. Its structural remains and inscriptions constitute important sources for the early history of Buddhism and its exquisite limestone relief sculptures are considered masterpieces. The tumultuous modern history of the site has been studied from the perspective of the history of Indian archaeology and the colonial construction of India’s past. Tragically, there is very little of the stupa at Amaravati itself. Since its discovery in the late 18th century, its parts came to be scattered across the world, the two principal collections eventually being housed in the Government Museum Chennai and the British Museum in London. In fact, the Amaravati sculptures are often spoken of in the same breath as the Elgin marbles in demands for the repatriation of cultural treasures.
June 2015, volume 39, No 6