Sanchi

Sanchi, a small town in Madhya Pradesh, is the location of several Buddhist monuments dating from the third century BC to the twelfth century AD. The foundation of the hilltop temple complex was laid by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka (273-236 BC) when he built eight stupas, one of which became known as the Great Stupa. However, The Great Stupa (120 feet/37 meters wide and 54 feet/17 meters tall) is not the original one. It encases an earlier stupa of about half its current dimensions built of large burnt bricks and mud.

This Ashokan Great Stupa was vandalized sometime in the second century BC but was repaired and expanded later in the Sunga Empire (85 BC - 75 BC). At that time, the dome was flattened near the top and crowned by three superimposed parasols within a square railing. The dome was set on a high circular drum meant for circumambulation, which could be accessed via a double staircase. In addition to their renovation of the Great Stupa, the Sungas constructed the Second and Third stupas and other religious buildings.

Encircling the Great Stupa is a railing with four exquisitely carved gateways or toranas, each facing one of the four cardinal directions. These gateways were believed to be carved during the Satavahana period, sometime around 100 AD. These four gateways are the finest works of art at Sanchi and are among India's finest examples of Buddhist art. They show scenes from the life of the Buddha and his previous incarnations as Bodhisattvas described in the Jataka tales. These scenes are integrated with everyday events familiar to the onlookers, making it easier for them to understand the Buddhist creed as relevant to their lives. The Buddha was never depicted as a human figure in the stone carvings. Instead, the artists chose to represent him through certain attributes, such as the horse on which he left his father's home, his footprints, or a canopy under the Bodhi Tree, where he attained enlightenment. The human body was thought to be too confining for the Buddha.

Additional stupas and other Buddhist and Hindu religious structures were added over the following centuries until the 12th century CE. With the decline of Buddhism in India, the monuments of Sanchi went out of use, fell into a state of disrepair, and were eventually completely forgotten. A British officer, General Taylor, discovered the site of Sanchi in the year 1818. Amateur archaeologists and treasure hunters ravaged the site until 1881 when proper restoration work was initiated. Between 1912 and 1919, the structures were restored to their present condition under the supervision of Sir John Marshall, and an archaeological museum was established. Around fifty monuments remain on the hill of Sanchi, including three stupas and several temples. Altogether, these monuments allow for studying Buddhist art and architecture's genesis, efflorescence, and decay for about thirteen hundred years, covering almost the whole range of Indian Buddhism. The monuments were listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1989.

Contrary to popular belief, the Great Stupa at Sanchi does not contain any relics of the Buddha, nor was Sanchi hallowed by any incident in the Buddha’s life. Hiuen Tsang, a Chinese pilgrim who toured India about 630 CE and meticulously recorded the details connected with Buddhist monuments, is silent about Sanchi. Stupa 3, however, a more miniature stupa near the Great Stupa, did contain the relics of two of the foremost disciples of the Buddha, Sarriputa and Mahamogallena. These relics were found by Colonel Cunningham in 1851, carried to England in 1853, and finally returned to Sanchi in 1953.

What is the purpose and meaning of the Great Stupa at Sanchi? A stupa is not a building in any traditional sense. Initially a burial or reliquary mound, it became a symbolic object of the Buddha, a symbol of his final release from the cycle of birth and rebirth - the Parinirvana or the “Final Dying” to the world.

In a larger sense, the stupa is also a cosmic symbol. Its hemispherical shape represents the world egg. Stupas commonly rest on a square pedestal and are carefully aligned with the four cardinal points of the compass. This is a recurrence of the symbolism of the dome whereby Earth supports Heaven, and Heaven covers Earth. The axis of the world is always represented in the stupa, rising above its summit. A ritual circumambulatory path around the monument completes the cosmic symbolism.

For additional information:

• Sanchi Photo Gallery
• List of India Sacred Sites