Sanchi Stupas- A World Heritage Site
Out of the 35 World Heritage Sites in India, The Stupas at Sanchi are one of the 3 such sites located in Madhya Pradesh. Sanchi is located just 46 kms away from Bhopal which makes it one of our favorite escape spot. And this write up refers to our instant visit plan to Sanchi on 10th May which was also “Buddha Purnima” or Full Moon Day luckily!
The Stupas at Sanchi dates back to the period of King Ashoka, who started building Stupas in India after adopting Buddhism due to the agonies and blood-shed which dreaded him during the famous war of Kalinga. The Stupas are considered as religious shrines in Buddhism as the relics of ‘Gautama Buddha’ are believed to be embedded in these Stupas.
Sanchi Stupas were built by Ashoka and his wife Devi who was the then princess of the nearby town of Vidisha. These stupas dates back to 273 BC. It is such a pleasure to go and visit these stupas which have survived thousands of years of journey including the tyranny of invaders.
The Sanchi stupas present before us a fervent example of the earliest architectural styles from the period of ancient history. It seems evident that these Buddhist monuments must have been the preliminary form of stone structures in India. The temples built around the site displays the very basic temple structure including four pillars, a flat roof, a small mandapam and a small garb griha. There is also a lecture hall or gathering hall built in the Greek Style which clearly shows the influence and presence of Greeks even in those times.
The Stupas are basically believed to be the shape of the inverted begging bowl held by the monks. Though there are many tell-tales about the shapes of Stupas. The one which I have mentioned seems closest to Buddhist philosophy. The major Stupa i.e. stupa of Lord Buddha majestically stands in the center of the entire temple complex. It is surrounded by 4 gates in the four directions, which were built by later Buddhist Kings.
Each side of the pillar are carved from single rock with three horizontal blocks placed above. The pillars are an extraordinary piece of stone art work and carvings. They depict stories revolving around the life of Lord Buddha popularly called as Jataka Tales. It is overwhelming to understand and know the description of these stories by the local guides available at the site, which you must hire for gaining the knowledge about the monument. It also helps you know the uniqueness of the monument and will definitely enhance your sense of appreciation for the place.
There are many small stupas around, which are believed to be the stupas of the disciples of Buddha. There is also a monastery and a temple complex built on the hill which proudly houses this astonishing Buddhist Shrines.
After the collapse of Buddhist kings the stupas remained unknown to mankind for hundreds of years, covered completely by the forests. However, they were discovered again by the Britishers who also did some excavation on the stupas of the disciples. The relics of the disciples obtained from this excavation still lies in the basement chamber of a temple which was built exclusively outside the stupa complex to preserve the pious residues of Buddhist monks.
An interesting fact about this temple is that it is a property of the government of Srilanka as it was gifted by our honourable Prime Minister Late Shri Jawaharlal Nehru to Srilanka.
Another important aspect is the Peepal Tree which was planted by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru who brought a sapling of the legendary ‘Bodhi Tree’ from Bodh Gaya in Bihar and planted it here at Sanchi. The Bodhi tree which is basically a peepal tree holds immense importance in Buddhism, as it was a peepal tree beneath which Lord Buddha was born, under which he attained enlightenment and, it was again a peepal tree under which Lord Buddha declared his Mahapariniravana i.e. he attained death!
Doesn’t matter as many times we visit the Sanchi Stupas, we can never have enough of this place! Because there is something definitely about this place which delights and soothes like nothing. For all travel driven people out there, I recommend strongly to visit Sanchi, spend some quite time at the Stupas which will surely leave an unforgettable impression on your minds and offer memories to be cherished forever!
The best time to go to the Stupas is morning or evening. The site is however, open from sunrise to sunset. But I would advise to avoid noon time, especially during summers. Also, if you move early morning or evening, you get to see the splendid Sunrise or Sunset in the beautiful Vindhyachal valley surrounding the Stupas! Hotel Gateway Retreat by MP Tourism offers a good lodging option. In case you have time to stay back at Sanchi, Satdhara and Udaygiri are another popular tourists spots.
