Centre earmarks Amaravati as heritage city

Amaravati (Guntur): Historical Amaravati, once the capital region of ancient Satavahana Kings, will be preserved as a heritage city. The marks and foot prints of history of the bygone era will be revived for the benefit of history and heritage lovers.

The Central government has earmarked Rs 100 crore and the Union Ministry of Urban Development has selected Amaravati along with 11 other historical cities in the country by sanctioning Rs 100 crores each to enliven the cities and to enable history lovers to go down the memory lane and delve into the past glory.

Amaravati, an old and dusty city, but for its historical value, is presently a sleepy village with hardly any facilities for the tourists. Lord Gautama Buddha sitting on a massive monument in a meditation mood appears to be watching over the village and the people.

However, to avail of the Central assistance, the State government has to upgrade the present Amaravati Village Panchayat into Nagara Panchayat. For the village to be upgraded, it needs to have a minimum population of 25,000. As of now, the population in the village is pegged around 13,400.

So, the government is planning to merge the surrounding villages of Dhanyakataka, Muttayapalem, Lingapuram, Nadukullapadu, Yenikipadu, Thedamatturu and Yakuntapuram to get the tag of Nagara Panchayat.

The Heritage City development involves laying of new roads, development of Buddhist theme park, in 500 acres, museum, pilgrim amenities, tourist kiosk and a foot-over-bridge from Dhana Buddha to Amareshwara temple. Life-size statues of eminent Telugu personalities will also be installed on the Krishna river bund.

Meanwhile, the Endowments department under the 'Prasadam Scheme' also sanctioned Rs 70 crores for the development of temples and infrastructural facilities for the devotees who come from far off places.

Summing it up, Amaravati Tahsildar K Nasaraiah told 'The Hans India' that the low-lying Amaravati would emerge as a famed heritage destination soon with the Central and State governments committed to invest Rs 170-odd crore together to spruce up the city which would attract even international tourists, particularly from the Buddhist countries like China, Japan and other South East Asian countries.

Already, many of the Japanese firms and associations have evinced interest to contribute their mite for the development of Amaravati. The historical city is destined to shine on the international tourist map along with the new capital region christened as 'Amaravati'.

The twin Amaravati’s would gain popularity in different ways- one reflecting the ancient glory, while the other showcasing ultra-modern civilisation.

By:Ravi Prasad Benjamin