Sanchi Stupa
Located:- in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Sanchi Stupa" is a famous ancient Buddhist monument. The Stupa is a wonderful testament to the artistic prowess of Buddhist monks. Emperor Asoka (273-236 B.C.) Sanchi Stupabuilt stupas in Buddha's honour at many places in India. The stupas at Sanchi are the most magnificent structures of ancient India. Stupas are large hemispherical domes, containing a central chamber, in which the relics of the Buddha were placed. The stupas at Sanchi traced the development of the Buddhist architecture and sculpture at the same location beginning from the 3rd century B.C. to the 12th century A.D.
It was accepted that the structure at Sanchi are the most organized construction which went into the engineering of temples in the medieval period. The carvings here are done with the precision of Jewelers. Despite the damage and restoration work done Sanchi is the most evocative and attractive Buddhist site in India. Sanchi is primarily a place of Stupas and pillars but the gorgeous gateways add grace to the place. These gateways are beautifully carved and carry scenes from the life of Buddha or Ashoka. The images carved on the pillars and the stupas tell moving story of the incidents form the life of Buddha.
History of Sanchi
Sanchi emerges from obscurity to take centrestage as a hub for, first travelling merchants and then, Buddhist pilgrims rather early in India’s history.
Sanchi had, even before it caught the eye of a certain king who made it famous, always been a bustling village, or rather traveller’s halt.
Because, about 7km away, is Vidisha which had always been a strategic trade centre and a thriving town throughout history.
In fact Sanchi’s ancient name was Vidishagiri, the hill of Vidisha.
In the ancient Indian times, majority of the merchants of Vidisha followed Buddhism.
It is easy to see why Buddhism might have appealed to the level-headed businessmen of Vidisha – it was a way of life that was not burdened by caste restrictions and gave to everyone the freedom to attain the respectability which comes with wealth and social mobility.
We are told that rich merchants and patrons from Vidisha opened their ample coffers to pour in the money to sustain the religious life and building activity at Sanchi, dated around 2nd century BC to 1st century AD. For the Buddhist monks too the location was ideal. They could live in the calm and peaceful sanctuary of Sanchi (also called Chaitya-giri, the hill of Chaitya prayer halls) and walk to Vidisha, according to the tenets of Buddhism, to beg for alms and their daily food.
The Formation of The City
The story behind the making of Sanchi and its stupas is however nothing less than a fairy tale – and it’s a substantiated historical fact.
Sanchi BudhaWhen the merchants of Vidisha decided to convert Sanchi into a Buddhist retreat, they went to famous Mauryan King (then governor of Ujjaini of which Vidisha formed a part) Piyadasi Asoka (215 BC) – before he became the most famous convert to Buddhism – to ask him to grant them the land. Asoka not only agreed, but also decided to take a personal interest in the building activity.
Upto this point Asoka’s interest can be safely put down to a king’s (even a would-be) natural love for building and plain curiosity, but mark the sequel.
When he came to Vidisha, the prince fell in love with the beautiful Devi, the daughter of one of the most powerful merchants of Vidisha.
The love was returned and it is said that it is because of this connection that Asoka started to take a serious interest in Buddhism. To honour his ladylove’s faith the prince started playing an active role in the building of Sanchi, giving out generous grants in form of both money and kind.
The love story meanwhile continued against the backdrop of the building of Sanchi during which time Asoka also succeeded to the throne.
Although they had two children, Asoka and Devi never married as she refused to move to Patliputta (the king’s capital, now Patna in Bihar), choosing to stay in Vidisha instead.
She gave two reasons for this. Firstly because she preferred to stay out of the intricate royal politics of the centre and secondly, Vidisha was where her religious and community work was based and she was reluctant to abandon that. One suspects that the first might have been the real reason, because what with Asoka already having so many ‘suitable’ queens and Devi being an ‘outsider’, it’s hardly conceivable that she would have been warmly accepted as the chief queen in the capital.
Devi was wise to anticipate complex royal intrigue – and wiser still to choose to stay away from it all.
Many years later it was her children, Mahindra and Sanghamitta, who led the famous royal embassy that Asoka sent to the island of Sri lanka to carry the message of the Buddha.
Attraction
The Stupas - The huge gateways and the stories encrypted inside the large domes are definitely the most attractive lessons in the Sanchi Chapter of Buddhism. The sculptures and the murals in the Stupa teach the basic values of Buddhism. The presence of Lotus in large number showcases purity amidst sins. There are many other shapes that are exhibited brilliantly in stones, among them human, elephants, jataka tales' characters etc are prominent. There is a way around the Stupa to circumambulate it, which is another attraction of the structure.
The ASI museum - Archaeological Survey of India has a museum in Sanchi housing many antiquities related to Buddhism, especially the Ashokan Pillar, the lion Capital is quite beautiful and attracts every archaeology lover.
How to reach
Air - Bhopal is the nearest airport at a distance of 46 km.
Rail - Nearest railhead is at Vidisha, 10 km from Sanchi.
Road - Sanchi is well connected to Bhopal, Vidisha and Indore through well laid road network.
Stay at Jehan Numa Palace Hotel in Bhopal.
