Pavuralakonda is a tourist attraction located in Vishakhapatnam. It is a small hillock that is located off the coast in the sea. The place is very close to Bheemunipatnam. This hillock is very popular among tourists. The entire hillock covers an area of 12 acres and it is 168 meters above sea level. The name Pavuralakonda in the local language means that hillock of the pigeons. It is believed that people lived on this hillock in 1st and 2nd century BC. There are several relics and artifacts like pottery, clay vessels and some inscriptions found on this hillock. There are around 16 water tanks that have been constructed during ancient times at this site. The exact reason for constructing these water tanks is unknown. However it is believed that they could have been made for the purpose of water harvesting. There are scriptures on each tank in Brahmini script.
About Pavuralakonda
The view from this ancient hillock is panoramic. You can clearly see the coastline and the surrounding hills from here. The River Gosthani also flows just past the hillock. It makes an ideal picnic spot for tourists. It is believed that this river served as a canal for trade during the Christian era. This could have been one of the earliest Buddhist sites in the area. Some archeologists believe that the science of water harvesting started as early as 1st century BC. Because there are water cisterns on the hillock which was used to collect rain water.
On further excavations of the hillock historians found cells that had verandahs stupas and halls. There were also coins found from the Satavahana period, Roman coins and some pots with inscriptions. Most of the relics found are left on the hillock. You will find a dislodged casket on the hillock too. This hillock is flanked by a serried of other small hillocks.
The Buddhist monks who occupied these series of hillocks in the later centuries built cells with meditation halls. A legend about this place says that the monks found this place and used it for hiding when they were being attacked by foreigners. It is also believed that several invaders like the Dutch and Portuguese visited the hillocks before they started exploring Vizag. They used these Hillocks as a base before they started invading India. The Gosthani River gave them easy access to the port city as well. It served as a canal and source of drinking water for them.
Getting there
Pavurala Konda is located very close to Bheemunipatnam. It is about 4.5 Kms from this town. Once you reach this town from Vizag you can take the local transport to get to the site. Carrying a good camera is advisable as it is very scenic.
About Pavuralakonda
The view from this ancient hillock is panoramic. You can clearly see the coastline and the surrounding hills from here. The River Gosthani also flows just past the hillock. It makes an ideal picnic spot for tourists. It is believed that this river served as a canal for trade during the Christian era. This could have been one of the earliest Buddhist sites in the area. Some archeologists believe that the science of water harvesting started as early as 1st century BC. Because there are water cisterns on the hillock which was used to collect rain water.
On further excavations of the hillock historians found cells that had verandahs stupas and halls. There were also coins found from the Satavahana period, Roman coins and some pots with inscriptions. Most of the relics found are left on the hillock. You will find a dislodged casket on the hillock too. This hillock is flanked by a serried of other small hillocks.
The Buddhist monks who occupied these series of hillocks in the later centuries built cells with meditation halls. A legend about this place says that the monks found this place and used it for hiding when they were being attacked by foreigners. It is also believed that several invaders like the Dutch and Portuguese visited the hillocks before they started exploring Vizag. They used these Hillocks as a base before they started invading India. The Gosthani River gave them easy access to the port city as well. It served as a canal and source of drinking water for them.
Getting there
Pavurala Konda is located very close to Bheemunipatnam. It is about 4.5 Kms from this town. Once you reach this town from Vizag you can take the local transport to get to the site. Carrying a good camera is advisable as it is very scenic.
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