Great Stupa of Sanchi

If one is in Bhopal, not a single opportunity to visit the 'Great Stupa' at Sanchi should be missed. It was commissioned by the emperor Ashoka in the third century BCE. It is one of the oldest stone structures in India.

It is a simple hemispherical brick structure measuring 36.5mts in diameter and 16.4 mts high. built over the relics of the Buddha. It is crowned by a parasol-like structure symbolizing high rank. Inside the Stupa there are relics of the Buddha. The dome which is flattened near the top is crowned by three superimposed parasols within a square railing. It is a symbol of the Dharma, the Wheel of the Law.

There are four monumental gateways (toranas) facing the cardinal directions. The gateways carved out of stone are covered with narrative sculptures. They showed scenes from the life of the Buddha. They show scenes from the life of Buddha. The gateways were erected c. 35 BCE. The four gateways are the finest works of art at Sanchi and are among the finest examples of Buddhist art in India.

On these stone carvings the Buddha was never depicted as a human figure as it was thought to be too confining for the Buddha. The artists choose to represent him by certain attributes, such as the horse on which he left his father’s home, his footprints or a canopy under the Bodhi Tree at the point of his enlightenment.