Great Sanchi Stupa

The Great Sanchi Stupa is a great stupa of marvelous proportions, the most important structure on Sanchi Hill (Stupa 1), which stands right in front of you if you approach the complex from the north. Originally built by Ashoka, it was later enlarged and the brick stupa is now inside a stone stupa. It is now 16 meters high and reaches 37 meters in diameter. The Great Stupa is surrounded by a wall with four magnificently decorated rams (gates), the most beautiful Buddhist works of art in Sanchi, if not in all of India.

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The gates of the Great Stupa were installed around 35 BC, but they had all been destroyed by time by the time they were found by the British. They have now been replaced. The scenes carved on the columns and triangular architraves are mostly from the Jatakas, accounts of the Buddha’s earthly reincarnations. During this period of art development, the Buddha was never directly depicted, but his presence was determined by recognizable symbols. The lotus signified his birth, the bodhi tree his enlightenment, the wheel his teachings, and the footprints and throne his presence. The stupa itself also symbolizes the Buddha.

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The north gate, topped by a broken wheel of justice, is best preserved. Among the images is a monkey offering a bowl of honey to the Buddha. Buddha is here represented in the form of a bodhi tree. On another is the miracle of Shravasti, one of several miracles depicted here, with the Buddha in the form of a bodhi tree rising into the air. Elephants support architraves above the columns, with elegantly carved yakshas (devas) hanging fearlessly on each side.

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The stunningly carved yakshi figure hanging from the architrave on the east gate is one of the most famous images in Sanchi. One of the columns supported by elephants depicts the Buddha’s attainment of nirvana. Another scene is a dream of Maya, the Buddha’s mother, of an elephant standing on the moon, which she had at the time of the Buddha’s conception. Right in the center of the main architrave is depicted the Great Departure, when the Buddha (a riderless horse) renounced sensual life and set out to seek enlightenment.

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The lions standing back to back on the southern gate, the oldest gate, form the national emblem of India, which can be seen on any banknote. This gate tells the Buddhist life of Ashoka, with scenes of the Buddha’s birth and the Great Departure. It also depicts the Jataka of Chhaddanta, the story in which the Bodhisattva (Bodhisattva; the Buddha before he attained enlightenment) took the form of an elephant king with six tusks. The less favored of the two wives of the elephant king was so jealous of the other that she decided to starve to death and vowed that she would be reborn as the queen of Benares (the former name of the city of Varanasi) to take revenge on her husband for not loving her enough. Her wish came true, and after becoming queen, she ordered hunters to find and kill the king of elephants. But before the hunter killed the elephant, the elephant handed him his tusks. This act was so noble that the queen died of remorse.

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The potbellied dwarfs support the architraves of the west gate, which depict some of the most interesting scenes. On the main architrave we see the Buddha in seven different reincarnations (three times his symbol is a stupa and four times a tree). The back of one of the columns depicts the Buddha resisting the temptation of Mara (the Buddhist personification of evil, often called the Buddhist devil): demons flee and angels triumph.

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Other Sanchi stupas

Stupa 2 is in the middle of the western slope (turn right from stupa 1). If you followed the main road out of the village, you can walk down past stupa 2, but be prepared to climb the fence at the bottom of the hill. Instead of a gate, the surrounding wall of the stupa is decorated with medallions, naive but full of energy and imagination. The stupa is surrounded by a ring of images of flowers, animals, and people, many of them heroes of myths.

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Stupa 3 stands northeast of the Great Stupa (if you go through the main entrance, it will be on the left). It is similar in design to the Great Stupa, but slightly smaller, and there is only one, but very beautiful gate. It once housed the remains of two important disciples of the Buddha, Sari Puttha and Maha Moggallana. They were moved to London in 1853, but were returned in 1953 and now rest in the modern vihara.

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Of the ancient Stupa 4 (2nd century BC), only the base behind Stupa 3 remains. Between stupas 1 and 3 is a small Stupa 5. It used to contain a statue of Buddha, which now stands in a museum.

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Columns in Sanchi

Among the remains of columns scattered everywhere, the most important is Column 10, which was built by Ashoka and later destroyed. The two upper sections, with perfect proportions and beautiful carvings, lie next to Stupa 1; the capitol (the top of the column, often with sculptural elements) is preserved in the museum. Column 25 (to the left of stupa 1) dates from the Shung Empire (2nd century BCE), another, less impressive column 35 (to the right of stupa 1) dates from the 5th century CE

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Buddhist temples

Temple 18 behind the Sanchi Great Stupa is a chaitya (prayer and meeting hall). Its style is very reminiscent of classical ancient Greek buildings with columns. The temple dates back to the 7th century CE, but there are traces of earlier wooden buildings underneath. To the left is temple 17, which is also reminiscent of Greek architecture. Behind them is temple 40, which dates back to the Ashoka era.

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The rectangular temple 31 (behind stupa 5) was built in the 6th or 7th century. It was reconstructed in the 10th-11th centuries. There is a beautifully rendered image of the Buddha.

Monasteries

The earliest monasteries were built of wood and have long since collapsed. They usually consisted of a central courtyard surrounded by monks’ cells. Only the courtyards and stone foundations have survived to this day. Monasteries 45 and 47, standing on the eastern ridge to the left of stupa 1, date from the period of transition from Buddhism to Hinduism, as the architecture has clear Hindu elements. In one of the monasteries are two statues of seated Buddhas, one of which is adorable.

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Behind Monastery 51, halfway up the hill towards Stupa 2, is the Great Bowl, carved in stone. Food and offerings for the monks were put here.

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Vihara

Literally, the word vihara (9.00-17.00), translates to “tomb”. It was built to hold relics from stupa 3. They can be seen every last Sunday of the month. The museum is on the left, immediately upon entering the complex.

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Archaeological Museum

Visit Rs. 5, free if you have a stupa osmort ticket;8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat-Fri

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This wonderful museum has a small collection of local sculptures. The main artifact is a lion-shaped capitol from Column 10, built by Ashoka and dating from the 3rd century B.C. Other interesting items include a yakshi hanging from a mango tree and beautiful red sandstone figures of a peaceful Buddha, the earliest found around the world. There are also some interesting photos of the area before restoration.

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Information

Ticket price:

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Indians/foreigners Rs. 10/250, car Rs. 10, museum Rs. 5;dawn-sunset

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The Sanchi hilltop stupas are easily accessible via a path and stone steps at the end of Monuments Road (Monuments Rd; it’s a continuation of the street starting from the train station), where the ticket office is located.

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If you’re going to the stupas at dawn, buy your ticket a day in advance. Remember: it is considered auspicious to walk around Buddhist monuments clockwise.

There is no currency exchange in Sanchi, the nearest ATM is in Vidisha. There are internet cafes in a few places in the market near the bus station (an hour 30-40 rupees)

Getting there and back

Bicycle

You can rent a bicycle at the market near the bus station (hour/day Rs. 5/30).

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Bus

There are regular buses between Sanchi and Bhopal (Rs 25, 1.5 hours, 6.00-22.00), and there are also flights to Vidisha (Rs 8, 20 minutes, 6.00-23.00). It is better to wait for the bus in the village at the crossroads rather than going to the bus station, which is on the right as you exit the railway station.

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Train

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You can reach Sanchi from Bhopal by train. The journey takes less than an hour, so there’s no need to book a seat: just arrive a little early, buy a general ticket (Rs. 7-21) and board the train. There are six day trains from Bhopal (8.00, 10.20, 15.15, 16.10, 18.00 and 20.55). Back, there are only four (8.00, 8.50, 16.30 and 19.10).

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