The Telangana government has announced plans to develop the 3rd-century Nelakondapalli Buddhist stupa in Khammam district into an international Buddhist tourism hub, combining restoration of the historic monument with new visitor infrastructure around the site.
Revenue and Housing Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy announced the plan during a visit to the Palair constituency on Monday and laid the foundation for various development works intended to preserve the monument and improve facilities in the surrounding areas.
Reddy said the stupa, which was discovered around 50 years ago, is one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the country. He also said that previous governments had initiated development works in the area but failed to complete them.
Archaeological excavations within a 1.5-km radius of the stupa have uncovered several ancient artefacts. However, the absence of suitable local preservation and display facilities led to the artefacts being shifted to a museum in Hyderabad, according to the minister.
The proposed development is expected to focus on restoring the historic site and creating tourism-related facilities in and around Nelakondapalli. The minister said that, on the directions of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, a meeting would be organised with Buddhist representatives from across the world, members of the local community, experts in Buddhist monuments and concerned officials to discuss the future development of the site.
The announcement places the stupa within a wider tourism infrastructure plan, although the government has not disclosed the proposed project cost, construction timeline, detailed facilities or the agency that will oversee implementation. The source report also does not specify whether a new museum or conservation facility will be developed near the archaeological site.
Nelakondapalli is in Palair constituency, where the minister also announced other local development measures during the visit. He laid the foundation for a 2.5-km bituminous road connecting Anasagaram and Pammi in Nelakondapalli mandal at an estimated cost of Rs. 2.80 crore. He later inaugurated a newly constructed gram panchayat office building at Gorillapadu Thanda in Kusumanchi mandal.
The minister also distributed sanction letters to beneficiaries under the second phase of the Indiramma housing scheme at Rythu Vedika in Nelakondapalli. He said pending bills under the scheme across Telangana would be credited directly into beneficiaries’ bank accounts within 10 days.
During the visit, Reddy also raised concerns about the impact of rainfall deficits linked to the El Niño effect and possible shortages of electricity and water. He advised farmers against taking up a second crop to avoid potential financial losses. The government’s next stated step for the Buddhist site is the proposed consultation involving Buddhist representatives, local residents, monument experts and officials.
