Description

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Context:

Miss World 2025 contenders from 22 countries recently visited Buddhavanam, a Buddhist theme park, to celebrate Buddha Purnima.

It is a Buddhist theme park in Telangana, located on the Krishna River's northern bank.

Location	Beside Nagarjuna Sagar, across the Krishna River
Historical Name	Nagarjunakonda or Sriparvata - Vijayapuri
Capital Of	Ikshvaku dynasty
Time Period	3rd and 4th centuries A.D.
Named After	Acharya Nagarjuna, Buddhist scholar and Madhyamika philosopher
Religious Significance	Centre of Mahayana Buddhism
Buddhist Structures	Monasteries, Shrines, Stupas (Maha Stupa, Votive Stupas), Chaityas, Silamandapas
Excavation Period	1954 to 1960
Findings	- Maha Stupa - Votive Stupas - Chaityas - Silamandapas - Buddhist sculptural panels and antiquities
Other Structures	Palace complex and a few Brahmanical temples made of bricks
Sculpture Themes	Major events from the life of the Buddha and Jataka tales
Reconstruction Sites	- Nagarjunakonda Island - Anupu (ferry point on the right bank of the Krishna River)

The Government of India has approved the project as part of an integrated Buddhist Circuit with the goal of attracting a significant number of domestic and foreign tourists, notably from Southeast Asia.
It covers an area of 279 acres.
It is designed to showcase Gautama Buddha's life and teachings.

It includes the Entrance Plaza, Buddhacharitha Vanam (Life of Buddha), Jataka Park (which tells stories about Buddha's former lives), Dhyana Vanam for meditation, Stupa Vanam (which houses the towering Maha Stupa), and an in-house Buddhist Heritage Museum.
The Mahastupa has exquisite carvings on the drum and dome parts, as well as a virtual hanging sky with lotus flowers beneath it.

Source: The Hindu

Practice Question

Q. Consider the following statements regarding Buddhavanam:

Buddhavanam is a Buddhist heritage theme park located on the banks of the Godavari River.
It is situated near the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir in the state of Telangana.
The site was developed to showcase the significance of Mahayana Buddhism in South India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

Answer:

B. 2 and 3 only

Explanation:

Statement 1 is incorrect: Buddhavanam is located on the banks of the Krishna River, not the Godavari.
Statement 2 is correct: It is indeed situated near Nagarjuna Sagar in Telangana.
Statement 3 is correct: The project aims to highlight the importance of Mahayana Buddhism and preserve South India’s Buddhist heritage