Monthly Archives: October 2019

Rare sculpture with 624 ‘naga’ carvings found in Guntur

They said the broken slab was found lying upside down on an ant hill mound, and that it was shifted and erected on the north-eastern corner of the Ramesvara temple sometime ago.

Rare sculpture with 624 ‘nagas’ carved on a single slab has been found at Velpuru in Krosur mandal of Guntur district (Photo |EPS
Rare sculpture with 624 ‘nagas’ carved on a single slab has been found at Velpuru in Krosur mandal of Guntur district (Photo |EPS

Guntur :

A rare sculpture with 624 ‘nagas’ carved on a single slab has been found at Velpuru in Krosur mandal of Guntur district. Based on the information provided by the locals, archaeologists rushed to the spot on Wednesday and examined it thoroughly. They said the broken slab was found lying upside down on an ant hill mound, and that it was shifted and erected on the north-eastern corner of the Ramesvara temple some time ago.

The granite slab, measuring 2’-0 x 6’-0 x 0’-4’’, has 24 rows on its front side, with 26 ‘nagas’ carved in each row. The archaeologists surmised that 576 similar carvings are present on the broken part of the slab that was yet to be located. They said that the sculpture had a lot of archaeological significance as it was found in Velpuru, where 35 inscriptions of Vishnukundin, Vengi Chalukya, Velanati Chola, Kakatiya, Reddy, Vijayanagara and Gajapati rulers were discovered.

They made an appeal to the local community to safeguard the rare sculpture and requested the Tourism department to operate ‘Naga tourist circuit’, connecting  Durga Nageswara temple, Pedakallepalli and Subbarayudu temples at Mopidevi of Krishna district with the sculpture found in Velupuru.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / October 31st, 2019

Billasurgam caves expected to get facelift

An arch formation at the entrance to the Billasurgam caves.
An arch formation at the entrance to the Billasurgam caves.

District tourism authorities draw up plans for its restoration, estimate cost of project at ₹5 crore

Located an hour’s drive from Kurnool is a small village called K.K. Kottala which houses the Billasurgam caves, where geologists have discovered cave art more than 5,000 years old.

Despite their stunning beauty, the Billasurgam caves in Betamcherla mandal of Kurnool district have remained an untapped tourist destination — something that the district tourism authorities are now planning to address in a bid to preserve history.

The caves were first discovered by famous British geologist Robert Bruce Foote in 1884. Foote was the same geologist who discovered paleolithic stone tools at Pallavaram in Chennai.

Prehistoric artefacts

During decades of archaeological excavations at the site since its discovery, numerous stone tools, animal remains, and fragments of pottery were found at the caves, proving the existence of prehistoric human activity at the caves.

However, the caves are now long overdue for a facelift. Surrounded by quarries and mines, the Billasurgam caves have been left mostly untouched ever since independence, with the exception of the odd visits of scholars and locals.

District tourism authorities are now planning to propose to the State Government to revive the caves and turn them into a tourist attraction. Officials have conducted initial surveys and are expected to produce a first-visit report to the government.

Speaking to The Hindu, District Tourism Officer, B. Venkateswarlu said that preserving the Billsurgam caves is high on their agenda. “We will also ask the archaeology department to look into the matter, and list the caves as a protected monument,” he said.

Lack of access

Currently, the authorities are planning to clean the caves and make it more accessible for visitors.

While it is a popular attraction among the local youth, the caves require development, cleaning and pathways for it to become a primary attraction in the district.

There are two roads leading to the caves – one from Betamcharla mandal headquarters and the other from Palkuru. Both the roads are kutcha roads which cannot accommodate auto-rickshaws and four-wheelers.

Mr. Venkateswarlu said that the development of the caves could cost at least ₹5 crore. “However, we need only ₹5 lakh right now to start the process of cleaning the caves. Moreover, this money, if sanctioned, could also be used to renovate the kutcha road,” he said.

Development plans

Talking about the development plans, the DTO said that roads need to be laid by the Panchayati Raj department, while avenue plantations must be taken up by the district water management agency. “Apart from that, the Revenue Department must also demarcate the land available, and raise fences,” Mr. Venkateswarlu said.

“As it is the constituency of Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy, we also plan on sending the proposal to him directly. With a push from Mr. Reddy, the caves could become a major tourist attraction,” Mr. Venkateswarlu said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Tadi Vidura / Kurnool – October 25th, 2019

RGUKT-Nuzvid signs MoU with Kusalava International Limited

The MoU will serve as an opportunity for collaborative research and lead to better employment and internship opportunities for the students.

Vijayawada :

RGUKT-Nuzvid signed an MoU with Kusalava International Ltd, manufacturer of engine critical parts on Friday, for establishing a research and development centre to promote exclusive research on products belonging to Kusalava International Ltd.

The MoU will serve as an opportunity for collaborative research and lead to better employment and internship opportunities for the students.

Director of RGUKT-Nuzvid campus Prof D Surya Chandra Rao, administrative officer, P Shyam and dean B Prasad explained the potentiality of advanced research facilities of various departments of the campus.

“Technical Director of Kusalava International Ltd Mr Chakravarthi Chukkapalli,  has expressed interest in collaborating with metallurgical & materials engineering (MME) and chemical engineering departments for conducting research related to batteries,” the Director said, adding,” He also sanctioned two more projects and accepted the proposal of establishing an R&D centre at our campus to promote exclusive research on products belonging to Kusalava International Ltd.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Vijayawada / by Express News Service / October 20th, 2019