Bojjannakonda

WHY IN NEWS?

After a sustained campaign, heritage lovers and officials have been successful in almost stopping the stone-pelting ritual at Bojjannakonda, a famous Buddhist site at Sankaram, 3.5-km from Anakapalle and 41-km from here.

ABOUT BOJJANNAKONDA

• Bojjannakonda, is a famous Buddhist site at Sankaram in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
• The site is famous for many votive stupas, rock-cut caves, brick-built edifices, early historic pottery, and Satavahana coins that date back to the 1st century AD.
• Bojjannakonda and Lingalametta are twin Buddhist monasteries dating back to the 3rd century BC. These sites have witnessed three forms of Buddhism:
• Theravada (Lord Buddha was considered a teacher)
• Mahayana (Devotional Buddhism)
• Vajrayana (Involved extensive rituals)
• The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) founded in 1984, is a non-profit charitable organisation registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, with a stated vision to stimulate and spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India.
• In 2007, the United Nationsawarded INTACH a special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

Prelims Question

Q. Centuries old Stone-pelting ritual which was recently stopped by sustained government effort is associated with which Buddhist site?
a)Bodh Gaya
b)Rumtek monsatery
c)Bojjanakonda
d)Sanchi

Answer to the Prelims Question