Nagarjunakonda Buddhist Archaeological Heritage and Island Museum

The island of Nagarjunakonda in Guntur district's portion of the Nagarjunasagar reservoir preserves rescued Buddhist monuments from the submerged Nagarjunakonda valley — one of the greatest Buddhist centres of the early centuries CE. The valley, before submersion by the reservoir in 1960, contained over 100 stupas, vihara complexes, and an ancient city inhabited continuously from the Stone Age. The rescued monuments — reassembled on the island — include the Maha Chaitya stupa, residential monastic complexes, and bathing ghats. The sculptural tradition of Nagarjunakonda, featuring schist reliefs with a distinctive flat-carved style, influenced Buddhist art across the Deccan and beyond. The island is accessible only by boat and maintains a museum with the finest rescued sculptures and artefacts.