India is the Birth place of The Enlightened one Buddha, After renunciation his preachings attracted the downtrodden
people who were negelected by the upper castes Brahmins , Kshatriyas and Vaisyas. Sudras and Chandalas Embraced Buddhism which flourished for centuries and also spread to other countries like China, Japan, Srilanka, Indonesia, Cambodia etc.In india Buddism made inroads in to Andhrapradesh actively patronised by the Satavahan Kings and Queens late Ikshavaka Kings, mothers and wives of the kings they built numerous number of monastries stupas and chaityasin all over the state To evidence the flourishment of Buddism in Andhrapradesh,the worlds Second Isalnd Musem was established in Nagarjuna Sagar also known as Nagarjunakonda Museum.
On Krishna River A dam was built acroos which is multipurpose dam which was used for Irrigation and Hydel power geenration.The museum was situated on a small mountain 14 kilometeres away from Viajaypuri South.To reach this place we have to travel by a motor Launch for nearly 45 minutes.This travel gives immense pleasure to travellers,this is an excellent opportunity for viewing rare scenic beauty and natrual scenaries.
Ikshvaka rulers ruled this place for nearly a centuryKings like matariputra Veerapurushadatta ,Vassistaputra Vehamula chnadramuludu-Vasistaputra Rudra Purusha Datta.The Edicts and Inscriptions,Coins and Statutes and Construction
remains were excavated in Archaeological Excavations were exibited in the museum.Artefacts of Neolithic age and Middle and later Stone ages were also found in this museum.
This Museum was named after the famous buddhist Acharya Nagarjuna and this was divisioned in to four divisions,the first
division exibits Golden Ornaments and coins, Bangles, Buddhist Statues and stone age Agricultral Impliments and Axes and tomb remains of moguls Tombs.
The second division Contains different scenes from buddhas life and jatakatales, pottery and scripts and rock edicts used in decorations of stupas.
Third division small statues made of different clays and in the fourth division stupas and pillars and Buddhas Statues and stupas and pillars built by the Ikshavakas were ecibited.
This mountain is of 23 kilometers extent and very unique in its land scape and with plenty of vegitation and lawns attracts the visitors and this museum is a place compulsorily to be visited by every buddhist where ever he is and which ever country he belongs.To witness the cultural remains of buddhism vistors from bhutan, China , japan visits this museum, Once Bhutan king Jakma wangchur visiterd this museum and with great admiration he prayed the god if he had next birth he will born in this land.
This museum is quite interesting to the reasearch scholars and the lovers of nature.