A good look at India’s oldest stone structure

The main gate at Sanchi’s main stupa

Approaching Stupa 1 at Sanchi. The heat is already setting in and the glare is intense

The Great Stupa at Sanchi is the oldest stone structure in India and we were lucky enough to visit it on a day trip from Bhopal.

Buddhist emperor Ashoka, often thought to be India’s greatest ruler (more about him another time), commissioned the original stupa during the Mauryan period in the 3^rd century BC.

The core was a simple dome-shaped brick structure built over relics of the Buddha. It was topped with a parasol-like structure (a chatra) that symbolised high rank and served to honour and shelter the relics.

History says that Ashoka’s wife, Devi, oversaw construction of the stupa. She was born in Sanchi, and it was where she and Ashoka married.

We headed to Sanchi early in the day, so arrived well before the hottest part of the day and the arrival of most of the visitors. The place gets a lot of traffic. It is considered sacred, plus it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1989.

The view of Stupa 1 from the monastery

Stupa 3 just near Stupa 1

During the Shunga period (2^nd century BC), the stupa was expanded (or possibly vandalized and rebuilt) and the bricks were covered with stone. A century later, four elaborately carved toranas (ornamental gateways) and a balustrade encircling the entire structure were added.

We walked around the stupa on the upper level and visited all the gates, which mark the cardinal points of north, east, south and west. The main gate is on the north.

Although made of stone, the gateways were carved and constructed as if they were made of wood. They are covered with narrative sculptures.

These show scenes from Buddha’s life integrated with everyday events that would be familiar to onlookers and make it easier for them to understand the Buddhist creed as it applied to their lives.

At Sanchi (and many other stupas), the local population donated money to embellish the structure and to gain spiritual merit. There was no direct royal patronage.

South gate at Stupa 1 overlooking old monastery

Detail at the main gate

More detail at main gate

Devotees, both men and women, who gave money towards a sculpture would often choose to have it done as their favourite scene from the life of the Buddha and then have their names inscribed on it. This is why there is often repetition of particular Buddha episodes on the stupa.

But with the decline of Buddhism in India, the Sanchi monuments went out of use and fell into a state of disrepair.

In 1818, British officer General Taylor of the Bengal Cavalry recorded a visit to Sanchi. He was the first known Westerner to document (in English) the existence of Sanchi. At that time, he found the monuments to have been left undisturbed for a long time and generally well preserved.

Unfortunately, after his discovery, amateur archaeologists and treasure hunters ravaged the site until 1881, when proper restoration work was begun. Between 1912 and 1919, the structures were restored to their present condition under the supervision of Sir John Marshall.

Today, around 50 monuments remain on the hill of Sanchi, including three stupas, several temples and the remains of a monastery.

Stupa 2

Elephant

Mythical creature

Peacock

Stairs up from Stupa 2

We visited as much of the sie as we could find, including Stupa 2, which was way farther down the hill than we expected. Never mind, we got in our exercise for the day. The collage of pics above show some detail at Stupa 2 and the steps to it.

Oh, and if you’re in to numbers, the main stupa is 12 metres tall (54 feet) and 32 metres in diameter (120 feet). The others are much smaller.

One of the temples at Sanchi

A view of the countryside below Sanchi