Nagarjunakonda, Buddhist archaeological site in Palnadu district, India

Nagarjunakonda is an archaeological site on an island in the Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir, in Palnadu district, Andhra Pradesh. Its excavated brick remains include stupas, viharas, chaityas and Hindu shrines, with a terraced brick wall and stepped platform visible among detached wall segments on sandy ground. About 14 large replicas of the ruins and a museum stand on the hill.

Vijayapuri, as the site was originally called, rose after the Satavahanas declined, when the Ikshvaku king Vashishthiputra Chamamula made it his capital in the first quarter of the 3rd century CE. Coins and inscriptions record four Ikshvaku kings, and queens and Buddhist laywomen such as Bodhishri and Chandrashri funded monuments. The last known Ikshvaku inscription dates to about 309 CE; the site later declined, and in 1515 Krishnadevaraya stormed its hill fortress.

The museum displays Buddhist sculptures, inscriptions, and stone pieces found during excavations from areas that were later submerged. Visitors can see the artistic work and written records from this ancient center of learning.

Visiting Nagarjunakonda requires taking a ferry from the mainland across Nagarjuna Sagar Lake. Boats depart regularly from the shoreline and provide the main way to reach the island site.

The 1954–1960 salvage dig led by R Subrahmanyam uncovered relics from the Early Stone Age to the 16th century. Around 14 large replicas of the excavated ruins, plus a museum, were then built on the hill. Sculptures from the site are now in museums in Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Paris and New York.