Beneath the ruins lie deeper stories—Roman and Satavahana coins, pieces of pottery, and religious relics unearthed by archaeologists. These artefacts hint at the cosmopolitan nature of the site.
The name Thotlakonda, meaning ‘hill of tanks’, finds its roots in the series of rock-cut cisterns that still punctuate the terrain. Carved into the hillside, these sunken tanks once harvested rainwater to serve the needs of more than 100 resident bhikkhus. A short drive—just five km east—leads to another hilltop echoing with a similar sense of quiet grandeur. Bavikonda, or ‘the hill of wells’, mirrors much of Thotlakonda’s layout: stone cisterns, votive stupas, viharas, chaityagrihas, and the remnants of what was once a massive Mahastupa. Today, only the pedestal remains, the domed crown lost to time.
But what Bavikonda lacks in scale, it makes up in significance. Among its 26 identified structures, archaeologists discovered a rare dagoba—a stupa housing a relic casket believed to contain a bone fragment of the Buddha himself. “Hardly anyone comes here except young people seeking privacy,” the guide remarks wryly.
In the hush of the hills, the ruins of Thotlakonda and Bavikonda still hold stories—of monks and merchants, of prayer and purpose. All they need now is someone to listen.