The Krishna district is one of the 23 districts of the state of Andhra Pradesh in India and has its administrative headquarters located at Machilipatnam. Ghantasala is a part of this district and is located some 21 km from Machilipatnam in the Divi taluka. The largest city of this district, Vijaywada, is around 60 km away. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has recognised the village of Ghantasala as one of the prime tourists spots for tourists to the state, specially the Buddhist tourists.

The reason for this is presence of the remains of Buddhist sculptures and a Buddhist stupa. These Buddhist attractions were found in the year 1919-20 and now attract a large number of tourists from all over. The stupa or the Maha Chaitya discovered here is particularly singular in its design. It is a cubical block of bricks exhibiting 12 zodiac signs. The dome of the stupa was once decorated with around 47 slabs showing the Buddha. Interestingly, some of these slabs, today, adorn the shelves of the museums in Paris. However, there are still a commendable collection of Buddhist statues and art in the museum of Ghantasala village. You can see these during your Buddhist tourism to Ghantasala. Also to be seen here are Roman gold coins and Satavahanas coins.


Quick Getaways

• Machilipatnam : Known as Brundavanapuram by the local people, the city of Machilipatnam is extremely important from historical point of view. The city is known for its long serene beaches which attracts tourists to spend some quiet moments there. The city is also famous for Kalamkari textiles and paintings created using vegetable dyes, carpet-weaving industry and production of scientific instruments.
  
  
• Adurru : Adurru is a part of the East Godavari district and is known for a mahastupa which measures around 17 feet in diameter. Excavation carried out here have brought to surface shreds of jars, troughs, dishes and bowls of red and kaolin. Adurru is 17 km away from Machilipatnam.
  
  
• Gudivada : A census town and a mandal headquarters, Gudivada forms the meeting point of Vijayawada-Machilipatnam-Bhimavaram-Nuzvid in the Krishna district. Archaeological excavations of the area have revealed remains of Buddhist and Jain relics. There are around 99 low mounds with remnants of Buddhist stupas, primary amongst them is a raised cylindrical mound with a semi spherical top. The Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, also paid a visit to Gudivada to deliver a public address on December 17, 1933.