Sanchi Stupa - Indian World Heritage Site

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It lies in the heart of India – Madhya Pradesh, this World Heritage Site with its giant gate facing all the centuries coming by. It is one of the oldest Stupas in India.

It can be easily reached from Raisen . There is also a meandering stone stairway for a quite hilltop walk.

The dome of the Stupa symbolises the presence of Bhuddism in India from a long period of time. It is the largest site of Bhuddist remains in India.

Originally, the stupas were built over the relics of Bhuddha. Later on King Ashoka ( 273 – 236 BC) built 84,000 stupas of which Sanhi Stupas are the best known. These stupas are built with brick and then covered with plaster.
In Sanchi King Ashoka built a stupa and erected a pillar. Aftter Mayuras, Sanchi continued to flourish when Ashokas brick stupa received a casing of stone and a blaustrade. In addition four gateways or toranas were added during the reign of the Satavahanas in the 1st century BC. After this, four images of Bhuddha were added uring the reign of the Guptas in the 5th centuryAD. Some more monastries were built later during the period of Pratiharas and Paramaras.

One can reach the Stupa Hill from Vidisha which is 9kms away.
The Great Stupa – the first one is one of the oldest stupas in India. It can be reached with halif an hour drive from the township. Its a cosmic symbol – the stupa. Its hemisphere depicts the world. Stupas rest on a square pedestal and are aligned on with the four cardinal points of the compass. The dome represents the earth covering the heaven and the heaven covering the earth. The axis of the earth is shown in the stupas. The cosmic symbolism is completed by a ritual circumambulatory path around the monument.

Its a hemispheric dome 36 meters in diameter and 16.46 meters high. The chhatraveli or the umbrella tops it. The three circular discs of the chhatraveli are an auspicious symbol, standing for Triratna or the three jewels of Bhuddhism.

Stupa 3 stands on the main entrance. . It is much smaller than the Great Stupa and contains the relics of two important diciples of Bhuddha – Sariputasa and Mahamogalanasa.

Stupa 2 is on a rocky ledge further down the slope and has only a well carved balustrade. The themes of the carvingsare the scenes from the Jatak Kathas (tales) which relate important episodes from Bhuddhist History.

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