Amravati Museum

Amaravati is a historical town that was once the capital of the Satavahana kingdom. The Satavahana dynasty ruled the region for four centuries. During this period Amaravati emerged as a major center of Buddhist art and culture. The Amaravati Museum in Amaravati is an amazing repository of relics that have been gathered from the ruins of this 2000 year old Buddhist settlement as well as from nearby places which were also under the influence of this religion.

The town of Amaravati was once known as Andhra Nagariand is a very important Buddhist site and pilgrimage place for Buddhists in South India because of the Mahastupa built by the BuddhistAcharyaNagarjuna more than 2000 years ago. Amaravati is considered the most sacred pilgrim centre for Buddhists in South India. The Amaravati Museum was built to preserve and exhibit the objects found at the archeological site discovered there which the ASI or Archeological Survey of India and the Archeology Department administers. The Andhra Pradesh government has now renamed the Amaravati Museum and Interpretation Centre as Kalachakra Museum and Interpretation Centre to commemorate the rare Buddhist religious event, Kalachakra, that took place in Andhra Pradesh in January 2006. The Buddhist Spiritual Leader Dalai Lama inaugurated the museum during the event. Amaravati is 33 km from Vijayawada APRTC Bus Stand.From GunturRailway Station the museum is only 35 km away. The museum is open on all days of the week from 10 AM to 5 PM and the entry fee is only Rs. 2 for visitors above the age of 15 years.