Phanigiri Buddhist Site

Phanigiri is a Buddhist site at the village of the same name, about 40 km from Suryapet in Telangana. It was in use from the 1st century BCE to the 4th century CE and is regarded as a major discovery for early Indian history, closely related to the stupa complexes of Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda.

The complex centres on a large stupa, with two apsidal halls that contain stupas of their own and three viharas where monks once lived. Two large footprints here are believed to be those of the Buddha. The village was formerly called Dharmachakrapuram; its present name joins 'phani', snake, and 'giri', hill, after the shape of the hill.