A decorated limestone panel found at early historic site of Chada in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Principal Secretary (Youth Affairs, Tourism & Culture) Shailaja Ramaiyer visited the early historic site at Chada village of Motakonduru mandal in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district on Wednesday.
Accompanied by deputy directors in the department of Heritage D. Ramulu Naik (Technical) and P. Nagarju (Museums) and assistant director (Technical) Ch. Madhavi, she visited the site, reported first by the technical staff of the department in 2003.
Spread over an extent of 10 acres, mound, brickbats, pot shades, limestone stumps, limestone Buddha statue, fragments of decorated limestone panels, a lotus medallion and a small label inscription in Brahmi script were noticed in the surface exploration. According to a press release issued by the department on Thursday, the evidence (surface findings) suggested that it might have been a prominent Buddhist site.
Taking up excavations at the site would help in establishing its relation to the nearby Buddhist sites such as Phanigiri, Gajulabanda, Cardhaman Kota and Thirumalagiri located along the course of Alair or Bikkeru river. The river course is about 20 km from the early historic site at Chada village.
The department has proposed conducting excavations for the field season of 2023-24 after getting permission from the Director (Exploration and Excavation) of the Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi, with an objective to understand the constructional patterns of the structures, and cultural life of the people who had inhabited the area in that era.
