20, మార్చి 2013, బుధవారం

Gudiwada Dibba: Buddhist site on the banks of Gosthani

Gudiwada Dibba is a small hillock at Gudiwada village in Bhogapuram mandal, Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh. It located on the banks of River Gosthani. This village is geographically located towards north of Tagarapuvalasa town but politically located in Bhogapuram mandal.


A small hillock with semi terraced area  is located on the banks of the river Gosthani at Gudiwada village. It consists of two Hindu temples at present but is full of Buddhist Remains scattered all over the hilltop terraced areas along with rock cut steps to the river on the west side of the hillock. This site would have flourished as a Hinayana Buddhist site from 2nd century BC to 3rd century AD.

Stupa Mound


Stupa Outline Bricks

The Hillock is formed as 2 flat terraces:
The upper terrace towards East consists of Buddhist Stupa (Possible Apsidal Stupa) remnants and a small rock cut cistern.
The lower terrace towards West consists of Buddhist Vihara remnants
Rock cut steps are present towards River Gosthani at the west end of the hillock.

View from Stupa Mound

Rock cut Steps

This site has some resemblance to Pavurallakonda and Thotlakonda Buddhist site in the near Vicinity. It is 6 KM away from Bheemunipatnam. Many Brick remnants are found scattered on the terraced area of this hillock. It would have served as a junction point and navigational point through the waters of River Gosthani and Bheemunipatnam sea routes. The absence of Buddhist Sculpture shows the possibility of an early Buddhist settlement at this place.

Rock cut Cistern


Explorations on this hillock (Gudiwada Dibba) during October 2012 yielded an ancient Buddhist heritage site possibly of 2nd Century BC. The site was documented by the State Archaeological department of Andhra Pradesh. The Excavations are yet to start at this ancient Buddhist site.

Brick Remants

The details of this site with evidences was provided by me(N Aditya Madhav) in 2012 to the State Archaeological department. This site was explored by me and my brothers (Pranav , Naveen) in 2011 under the study project BIRHAJ (Buddhism, Its Resemblances with Hinduism And Jainism).

The Terraced site at Gudiwada Dibba