The administration of Prakasam district has appointed a consultancy to draft a detailed project report (DPR) for the restoration of the ancient double‑terraced stupa at Chandavaram village. Collector Raja Babu told The Hindu that the consultant is expected to hand over the DPR in the next three weeks, after which a master plan and cost estimates will be disclosed.
The Chandavaram Stupa, perched on Singarakonda Hill near the Gundlakamma River, is the largest of the roughly 150 Buddhist stupas identified in Andhra Pradesh. Its double‑terraced structure dates back to the period between the 2nd century BCE and the 2nd century CE, when the region thrived as a key node on the historic pilgrimage route linking Kashi and Kanchipuram.
Raja Babu and R. Mallikarjuna Rao, director of the A.P. Department of Language and Culture, inspected the monument on Tuesday, meeting local residents and reviewing the site’s condition. Rao, who helped design the Buddha statue at Amaravati, is assisting the district in preparing the master plan and announced that a book on the Chandavaram Stupa is being published to highlight its cultural importance.
The district plans to integrate the stupa into a broader spiritual tourism circuit, linking it with the Tripuranthakeswara Swamy and Bala Tripura Sundari Devi temple complex at Tripurantakam and the Lakshmi Chennakesava Swamy Temple at Markapuram. It will also feature in the proposed Buddhist Circuit that connects Amaravati with other Buddhist sites across the state.
To improve access, a new road from Tripurantakam on National Highway 544D to the stupa will be constructed at an estimated cost of ₹50‑60 lakh. Additional basic infrastructure work, budgeted at ₹2‑3 crore from district funds, will be undertaken once the DPR and master plan are approved.