Amaravati Museum, Amaravati - Timings, Entry Fee, History & Artifacts

At a distance of 500 m from Mahachaitya and 1 km from Amaravati Bus Stand, Amaravati Museum is an archeological museum situated in Amaravati, the de-facto capital of Andhra Pradesh, India. Just opposite to Amaravati Stupa, it is one of the popular museums in Andhra and among the top places to visit in Amaravati as part of Vijayawada Tour Packages.

Maintained by ASI, the Amaravati Museum is an amazing repository of relics that have been gathered from the ruins of this 2000 year old Buddhist settlement as well as from nearby places. These artefacts belong to the period 3rd century BC to 12th century AD exhibit in three different galleries. The ancient and complex art work done by the craftsmen of that period are displayed in the first gallery. The Purnakumbha designs and the Lotus designs here express the intricate art of those days. The two drums of slab depicting the Stupas, Swastika mark on the cushioned seat of the throne under the Bodhi tree, the Agni Skanda (Flaming pillar), the dome and the standing Buddha belonging to 8th century are the precious collections of this museum.

The second gallery has a tall and elegant bronze statue of Lord Buddha, the master piece of Amaravati Museum. This elegant Buddha statue probably belongs to the 8th century AD and was excavated from the south eastern part of the Deccan. The sculptural dexterity revealed in the statue is commendable. This gallery also has some inscribed pillars, a stone wheel from Lingarajapalli along with many portraits and paintings that will give you an insight into the life of Buddha. While, the third gallery depicts the strength and energy of the Satavahana period here you will come across the sculptures dating back to 100 BC such as Yakshi, Dharma Chakra and Bodhisattvas.

Also, the museum has panels that show case the model of stupa that is a portion of reconstructed railing. These panels show the life of Buddha right from the period when he left out of his kingdom and many other incidences that happened in the life of Holy Buddha. One can also find some more notable piece of art like Ganesh, Goddess Lakshmi and a life-like sculpture of Nandishwara, etc.

Timings of Museum: 9 AM - 5 PM, Closed on Fridays

Entry Fee: Rs.5 for Person