Chinese accounts of Dhānyakaṭaka

In addition to the royal records, the Chinese accounts of Hiuen Tsang in 7^th century C.E furnish valuable information about the importance and survival of the monastic site of Amarāvatī. In Si-Yu-ki he mentioned Dhānyakaṭaka as To-na-kietse-kia or Te-na-ka-che-ka (Dhanakacheka)^[1]. He mentioned Dhānyakaṭaka as ‘Mahā Andhra’ and ascribed 1000 li for the whole of Andhra and 40 li circuit for its capital. Hiuen Tsang’s reference to Dhānyakaṭaka as ‘Mahā Andhra’ suggests a greater role of Dhānyakaṭaka in Andhra. The ancient city of Dhānyakaṭaka noted in Mackenzie’s plan shows its extension of 3.5 miles in length covering the villages Muttiyapālem on the west and Pedantiyamma on the east. It did not extend beyond Nakkade varinne. This description on the extent of the city agrees with Hiuen Tsang’s circuit of forty li^[2]. From Hiuen Tsang’s account we come to know that the Chinese traveller personally visited Dhānyakaṭaka in 639 C.E. He commented that during his visit twenty monasteries at Amarāvatī still stood in good condition providing residence to nearly a thousand of monks belonging to different schools of the Mahāsaṅghikās^[3].