Travel Day 898 – Vizag to Thotlakonda and Bavikonda, INDIA
Waking up at the beach was great. We had a balcony, ocean view and out the front door was the beach already…
Buddhist Monastery Ruins at Thotlakonda
After being slightly annoyed yesterday about having to spend more money on accommodation than usually, today we definitely knew that it was the best decision ever. The town itself seemed like a faceless dusty place like anywhere else and only the nice ocean front was the big draw-card of Visakhapatnam. We took already full advantage of it yesterday while having dinner outside by the water and enjoying a beach walk before going to bed…
Today we started our day with another beach walk in the sun. The beach was actually a lot nicer than the one in Puri and once we saw enough of it, were off to a little excursion. Besides the beach, the other big attraction of the area were the ruins of the ancient Buddhist Monasteries and according to the book, two were in close reach and so they became our destination of the day…
Buddhist Monastery Ruins at Bavikonda
Thotlakonda and Bavikonda both were Buddhist monasteries that were established around 300 years B.C. and counting from today, they had been abandoned for almost 2000 years by now. Since Buddhism spread from India into the world, many monks set out from here to teach in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka. What was left from that area today was not very much, but it was till worth a visit…
Actually once we arrived at Thotlakonda with our hired rickshaw, we were a little bit disappointed. There was nothing really to be seen besides foundation walls of where assembly halls, stupas and living quarters once stood. But the calmness of the place and the nice views over the ocean lead one to thinking that this must have been a really great place when it was an active monastery…
Ruined Big Stupa in Baviconda, India
Bavikonda then turned out to be a little bit out-of-the-way and without any sea views, but on the other hand it was an even calmer place and seemed to have been the bigger complex of the two. Living quarters appeared to be far fewer than we had seen in Thotlakonda, but the overall count of stupas was far higher and for some reason it seemed easier to imagine how this place was once in good use as a monastery…
Once back in town we ended the day while watching the sun set at the beach and with another great meal in one of the outdoor restaurants. Yeah, it was more expensive here at the beach, but it was definitely worth it… : )
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