Thursday, August 25, 2011

Stupa 3, Sanchi

This Stupa of Sanchi was originally constructed sometime in the 2nd century BC. In 1st century AD it was repaired and enlarged.

It is smaller than Stupa 1 and has only one gateway. It contained caskets of two disciples of the Buddha during his lifetime.


The 1st century AD torana (gateway) is exquisitely carved. On the front: the top architrave has floral designs, the middle architrave has a Stupa and two Bodi trees and the lower architrave represents paradise
of Indra.

On the pillars the left side has a design of stupa and on the right is the Wheel of Dharma. Pot-bellied dwarves support the architraves.

49 comments:

alicesg said...

The designs on the stupa looked very beautiful and am sure lots of man power and hardwork was used to craft these beautiful designs. Was a job well done.

Sridharan said...

Bright & beautiful..!

Kavita Saharia said...

Outstanding !Fine example of Buddhist architecture.

Anonymous said...

nice info with photograph

Anonymous said...

you are so good with the details Rajesh...I hardly remember where I went :(

Zuzana said...

Very interesting building, must have been difficult to build that dome.;) What does stupa mean?
xoxo

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

where is this? What percentage of the Indians are Buddhist?

Travel France Online said...

What a splendid grave...

Pearl Maple said...

Great collection of photos from your travels, amazing amount of details in the sculpture

Unknown said...

Another great post!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Sivinden said...

Beautiful gateway and stupa and a lovely blue sky!

Carver said...

Magnificent structures against the blue sky.

Liz said...

Amazing works of art! Happy sky watching.

Liz @ A Simple Life

FM said...

Wonderful photos!

nonizamboni said...

I learned about stupas in art history but your photos really made them come alive for me.
Thanks for sharing!

Chubskulit Rose said...

With your photos, I came to love India already!

Such beautiful captures!

<a href="http://www.mycountryroads.com/2011/08/lion-or-pig.htmlMy Skywatch</a>, have a great weekend ahead!

Martha Z said...

You find such interesting and unique views of your country to share with us. There is always something new to learn.

Kay L. Davies said...

It's beautiful, Rajesh, and so is the blue sky!
— K

Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

Smalltown RN said...

Those are amazing buildings...and the carvings within them are spectacular....very nice!

Al said...

It's amazing - the details on the stonework are something from a different world to me. And I love the blue skies behind it.

Kim, USA said...

Wow this is amazing. So there is also a Buddha in India? Awesome Architecture.
SWF

clairz said...

The age of your buildings and temples always amazes me. Thank you for this interesting post.

Anonymous said...

Wow - so ancient and lovely!

Anonymous said...

Stupa and Wheel of Dharma dwarves remind me of the pot-belly buddhas in Japan.

forgetmenot said...

What an interesting and beautiful structure. Such ancient and lovely buildings where you are. And, you take such nice photos of them to share. Have a nice weekend. Mickie ;)

Jackie said...

Amazing structures and carvings. I doubt our modern architecture will last as long.

Teamgsquare said...

Wonderful and ancient .....

Tatjana Parkacheva said...

Very good photos with interesting details.

Regards!

Francisca said...

Fantastic carved gateway and stupa against the blue sky!

María del Mar Hermoso said...

It is like a magic dream, a jewel made of stone, a sweet cloud, an exquisit silk cloth. India, as Spain and Colombia, could have also been the birthplace of Magic Realism and Magic Idealism.

George said...

This is a fascinating structure with a very interesting gateway. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

The sky is beautiful, and off-white color of the stone goes well with its soft blue color.

Unknown said...

It's the first time I see this kind of gate in India and it's awesome!

thomas said...

Very interesting stupa.

Rajesh said...

Thank you for appreciating this.

Zuzana: Stupa is a Buddhist shrine with the relics o Buddha.

Ann: Around 1% of population in India follow Buddhism.

Magical Mystical Teacher said...

Such intricate stonework! It speaks of the devotion of the builders.

SHADOW DITTY

Shadows of onyx, shadows of grey,
Shadows to chase my doldrums away;
Shadows each morning, shadows at night,
Shadows, O shadows, you’re my delight!


© 2011 by Magical Mystical Teacher

Shadows of Mexico here and here

Sylvia K said...

What an awesome, beautiful place, Rajesh! And your captures are superb! Great shadows for the day, too! Hope your weekend is going well!

Sylvia

Cassie said...

Quite fascinating. I had to look the word stupa up...now I'm a tiny bit wiser!!

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said...

Lovely shadows ... what a lot of work went into creating that place. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Kathy M.

joshi daniel said...

looking so nice against the blue sky!

Unknown said...

I love the shadow the arch casts...

Good Rule Keep Cool!
Rainey @ The Project Table

Ani said...

Beautiful! I'd love to visit some places like that. I've never visited a stupa myself, but I'd like to, especially since I blog about things tangentially related to Buddhism. My Buddhist blog is here.

SmilingSally said...

Impressive.

Love your blues!

Happy Blue Monday, Rajesh.

Pie said...

Wonderful shots!

My Blue Monday is here.

Rajesh said...

Thank you all for appreciating this ancient structure.

Sunita Sriram said...

what an intricate work of art beautifully captured and explained- stupendous!

manan guju said...

beautiful pics! bright, sunny lighting, good perspective, crystal clear images!

Anonymous said...

Good photographs.

Regards,
J
http://mycreationz.wordpress.com

Rajesh said...

Thank you all for appreciating this ancient craftsmanship.