Which Buddhist stupa in Andhra Pradesh was a major center of early Buddhist art?

The Buddhist stupa in Andhra Pradesh that was a major center of early Buddhist art was the Amaravati Stupa.

Located near the ancient settlement of Dharanikota on the Krishna River, the stupa was probably founded in the 3rd century BCE and enlarged through several later phases. Its limestone railings, drum slabs, gateways, and narrative reliefs made Amaravati one of the great artistic centers of early Buddhist India.

The Amaravati style is noted for energetic figures, crowded narrative scenes, floral designs, and depictions of Buddhist stories. It influenced sculpture across South India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Southeast Asia. Many surviving pieces are now divided among museums in India and abroad.

A common mix-up is to treat Amaravati as only a monument. “Amaravati” also names a wider regional school of sculpture, whose other important sites include Nagarjunakonda. The stupa itself was known in ancient inscriptions as a mahacetiya, or great sanctuary.