Buddhist Monuments near Sanchi

Monuments. By cruisingindia.com on Oct 28, 2006.

Buddhist Monuments near Sanchi Images

Sanchi History

Sanchi is the location of several Buddhist monuments dating back to the 3rd century B.C. to the 13th century AD. The monuments include temples, stupas, pillars, and monasteries. Stupas are large hemispherical domes with central chambers where relics of The Buddha are placed. The Stupa is imbued with symbolic value. Its history starts with the great Emperor Ashoka Priyadasi who chose to build this complex in Sanchi after becoming a Buddhist convert.

Sanchi was a quiet meditative place near the prosperous town of Vidisa. The monks from Sanchi could fulfill their religious duty of begging easily due to this proximity. Also, only the rich mercantile community of Vidisa could finance the scale of beautiful monuments in Sanchi.

There is also a romantic tale associated with Sanchi. Emperor Asoka was approached by the merchants of Vidisa, who asked for the the land of Sanchi to be converted to a Buddhist center. Asoka agreed, and became actively involved in the project. During this period he fell in love with, and married, the daughter of a merchant. It is believed that she refused to move to Pataliputra, the Mauryan capital and instead drew the Emperor closer to Sanchi and Buddhism. In fact two of their children, Mahendra and Sanghamitra, are famous for spreading Buddhism to Sri Lanka.

History of the Buddhist Monuments

Asoka became one of the most famous Buddhist rulers of India. It is during his time that Buddhism became the predominant religion of India. He is especially connected to Sanchi for building several Stupas, pillars and sanctuaries. The foundation at Sanchi was laid when he erected Stupa One along with a monolithic pillar at that site. Asoka built a total of eight Stupas on the hilltop of Sanchi including Stupa One.

The Sunga Dynasty ruled central and eastern India after the fall of the Mauryan Empire. Several edifices were raised in Sanchi during the Sunga times. The Asokan Stupa was enlarged and faced with stones and decorated with balustrades, a staircase and a Harmika or parasol on top. Stupas Three and Four were also erected around the same time, as well as renovation of Temple Forty.

In the 1st century BC, the Andhra Sathavahanas who reached till Malwa, added to the elaborate carvings of the gateways to Stupa One. From 2nd to the 4th century AD, Sanchi and Vidisa came under the rule of the Kushanas and Kshatrapas, and thereafter passed into the hands of the Gupta rule. The Guptas were responsible for construction of temples and sculptures, a far cry from the symbolism of the early Sanchi architecture.

After the 12th century, Sanchi and Buddhism in general went into decline faced with the revival of Hinduism in India and the Muslim invasions of Northern India. The site, which lay in dilapidated condition, mauled by invaders and looters, was discovered only much later in 1818 by a British Officer General Taylor and reconstructed to its former state by Sir John Marshall, who also known for his work on the Indus Valley civilization, in 1919. Today it is a World Heritage site marked by UNESCO.

Some of the important monuments at the site are as follows:

The Stupa The Stupa One or the Great Stupa is the most famous monument at Sanchi. It is the most characteristic Buddhist monument in India. Originally, Stupas were mounds housing the relics of The Buddha and his followers. The Buddha was represented through certain symbols: a lotus representing his birth, a tree symbolizing his enlightenment, and a wheel representing his Nirvana or salvation. The Stupa became a symbol of the Buddha’s final release or Parinirvana. The Stupa is also a cosmic symbol – the hemispheric world egg being covered by flat surface heaven. The ritual circumbalatory path around the monument adds to the cosmic symbolism.

The Great Stupa is surrounded by a railing with four gateways covering the four directions. Asoka commissioned it in the 3rd century BC. It is a semi-hemispheric dome housing the relics of The Buddha. It was rebuilt in the 1st century BC One of the notable features is that there are no images of The Buddha in human form. But there are stylized depictions of nature, birds, trees, flowers and vines in exquisite detail. It reveals the sculptor’s love of nature. The most common symbol is the lotus – of special value to the Buddhists as the model of a beauty arising from the dirt or mud of life. There are also male and female spirits depicted along with luscious fruits and flowering plants all symbolizing fertility.

Some of the later additions to the Great Stupa were the elaborately carved four gateways or Toranas. The gateways were erected in the order – South, North, East and West. Each of these gateways has pictures from The Buddha’s life carved on them in exquisite detail. Stupas Two and Three are simpler versions of the Great Stupa.

The last additions were during the Gupta rule, around 450 AD when effigies of The Buddha were permitted and four stone Buddha’s were placed against the walls of the Stupa One near the gate. The Gupta period is known to have ushered in a new epoch in temple architecture in India. Temple 17 stands as testimony to their finesse in architecture.

The Asoka Pillar The next attraction is the Asoka Pillar. It is one of the several pillars scattered around that area; some broken, some in order. It has a crown of the famous four lions standing back to back. This has been adopted as the national emblem of India. The Asoka pillar is an excellent symbol of Greco-Roman art.

Ticket Prices and Best Time to Visit

It is accepted that the structures at Sanchi are some of the best-known specimens of art and architecture in the world. Their construction techniques are on par with the best in the classical and medieval world. Sanchi, with its evocative Stupas, pillars, and temples, is surely one of the most attractive Buddhist sites in India. It is open on all days from sunrise to Sunset. For Indians above 15 years it is Rs 10 per head and for others above 15 years, US $5 or Rs 250 per head. Entry is free on Friday. Best time to visit would be November to February.

Directions:
Sanchi is about fifty kilometers from Bhopal

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