Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	India
Type	Cultural
Criteria	(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)
Reference	524
Region **	Asia-Pacific
Inscription history
Inscription	1989 (13th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

Sanchi known for its "Stupas" is a small village in Raisen District of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, it is located 46 km north east of Bhopal, and 10 km from Besnagar and Vidisha in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the location of several Buddhist monuments dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 12th century CE and is one of the important places of Buddhist pilgrimage. It is a nagar panchayat in Raisen district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Toranas surround the Stupa and they each represent love, peace, trust, and courage. This world heritage site is well maintained and is open to public viewing from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It takes about an hour and a half for a non-research visit of the site. Photography is allowed and audio guides are available.

The 'Great Stupa' at Sanchi is the oldest stone structure in India^[1] and was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE. Its nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha. It was crowned by the chatra, a parasol-like structure symbolising high rank, which was intended to honour and shelter the relics. It has four profusely carved ornamental gateways and a balustrade encircling the whole structure.^[2]

Etymology of Sanchi[link]

Sanchi might have originated from Sanskrit and Pali word Sanch meaning To Measure. In Hindi, however Sanchi or Sancha means for Moulds of Stones.

Panoramic view of Sanchi

History[link]

Sunga period[link]

Sanchi
—  city  —
Sanchi Location of Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh and India
Coordinates	23°28′50″N 77°44′11″E / 23.480656°N 77.736300°E / 23.480656; 77.736300Coordinates: 23°28′50″N 77°44′11″E / 23.480656°N 77.736300°E / 23.480656; 77.736300
Country	India
State	Madhya Pradesh
District(s)	Raisen
Population	6,785 (2001[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)

The compound Buddhist symbols: Shrivatsa within a triratana, over a Chakra wheel, on the Torana gate at Sanchi.

The stupa was vandalized at one point sometime in the 2nd century BCE, an event some have related to the rise of the Sunga emperor Pusyamitra Sunga who overtook the Mauryan Empire as an army general. It has been suggested that Pushyamitra may have destroyed the original stupa, and his son Agnimitra rebuilt it.^[3] During the later rule of the Sunga, the stupa was expanded with stone slabs to almost twice its original size. The dome was flattened near the top and crowned by three superimposed parasols within a square railing. With its many tiers it was a symbol of the dharma, the Wheel of the Law. The dome was set on a high circular drum meant for circumambulation, which could be accessed via a double staircase. A second stone pathway at ground level was enclosed by a stone balustrade with four monumental gateways (toranas) facing the cardinal directions. The buildings which seem to have been commissioned during the rule of the Sungas are the Second and Third stupas (but not the highly decorated gateways, which are from the following Satavahana period, as known from inscriptions), and the ground balustrade and stone casing of the Great Stupa.

Satavahana period[link]

Carved decoration of the Northern gateway to the Great Stupa of Sanchi

The gateways and the balustrade were built and appear to have been commissioned by the Satavahana. An inscription records the gift of one of the top architraves of the Southern Gateway by the artisans of the Satavahana king Satakarni:

"Gift of Ananda, the son of Vasithi, the foreman of the artisans of rajan Siri Satakarni".^[4]

DC Sircar observes that palaeographically the Hathigumpha record is slightly later than Naneghat record whereas the letters of Sanchi inscription of Satakarni resemble the script of Hathigumpha inscription. Kharavela in his inscription mentions one Satakarni, who is identified as Satakarni II, who is also identical to the one who inscribed in Sanchi. If this be true, then the dating of Sanchi gateway and balustrade will be belonging to much earlier period of 180-160 bce.

Although made of stone, they were carved and constructed in the manner of wood and the gateways were covered with narrative sculptures. They showed scenes from the life of the Buddha integrated with everyday events that would be familiar to the onlookers and so make it easier for them to understand the Buddhist creed as relevant to their lives. At Sanchi and most other stupas the local population donated money for the embellishment of the stupa to attain spiritual merit. There was no direct royal patronage. Devotees, both men and women, who donated money towards a sculpture would often choose their favourite scene from the life of the Buddha and then have their names inscribed on it. This accounts for the random repetition of particular episodes on the stupa (Dehejia 1992). On these stone carvings the Buddha was never depicted as a human figure. Instead the artists chose 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. The human body was thought to be too confining for the Buddha.

Detail on the Sanchi stupa

Some of the friezes of Sanchi also show devotees in Greek attire (Greek clothing, attitudes, and musical instruments) celebrating the stupa.^[5]

Later periods[link]

Further stupas and other religious Buddhist and early Hindu structures were added over the following centuries until the 12th century CE. Temple 17 is probably one of the earliest Buddhist temples as it dates to the early Gupta period. It consists of a flat roofed square sanctum with a portico and four pillars. The interior and three sides of the exterior are plain and undecorated but the front and the pillars are elegantly carved, giving the temple an almost ‘classical’ appearance (Mitra 1971). With the decline of Buddhism in India, the monuments of Sanchi went out of use and fell into a state of disrepair.

Western rediscovery[link]

A Gate to the Stupa of Sanchi 1932

A British officer in 1818, General Taylor, was the first known Western historian to document (in English) the existence of Sanchi (Sāñcī). Amateur archaeologists and treasure hunters ravaged the site until 1881, when proper restoration work was initiated. Between 1912 and 1919 the structures were restored to their present condition under the supervision of Sir John Marshall.^[6]

Today, around fifty monuments remain on the hill of Sanchi, including three stupas and several temples. The monuments have been listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1989..

Demographics[link]

As of 2001^[update] India census,^[7] Sanchi had a population of 6,785. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Sanchi has an average literacy rate of 67%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 75%, and to female literacy is 57%. In Sanchi, 16% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Gallery[link]

Pilgrimage to Buddha's Holy Sites
The Four Main Sites
Lumbini · Bodh Gaya Sarnath · Kushinagar
Four Additional Sites
Sravasti · Rajgir Sankissa · Vaishali
Other Sites
Patna · Gaya · Kosambi Kapilavastu · Devadaha Kesariya · Pava Nalanda · Varanasi
Later Sites
Sanchi · Mathura Ellora · Ajanta · Vikramshila Ratnagiri · Udayagiri · Lalitgiri Bharhut · Barabar Caves
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  Stupa no. 3, Sanchi.

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  Sanchi, 2003.

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  Details of Northern Gate, Sanchi Stupa built in 3rd century BC.

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  Stupa of Buddha's Disciple, Sanchi.

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  Design of the 'Great Stupa' at Sanchi.

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  Sanchi Stupa, with restored garden 2009.

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  A buddhist monastery at Sanchi.

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  Monks visiting the Sanchi Stupa.

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sanchi

• Decline of Buddhism in India
• Buddhism in India
• Buddhist architecture

References[link]

Literature[link]

• Dehejia, Vidya. (1992). Collective and Popular Bases of Early Buddhist Patronage: Sacred Monuments, 100 BC-AD 250. In B. Stoler Miller (ed.) The Powers of Art. Oxford University Press: Oxford. ISBN 0-19-562842-X.
• Dehejia, Vidya. (1997). Indian Art. Phaidon: London. ISBN 0-7148-3496-3.
• Mitra, Debala. (1971). Buddhist Monuments. Sahitya Samsad: Calcutta. ISBN 0-89684-490-0

External links[link]

• [1]
• "Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh)", Jacques-Edouard Berger Foundation, World Art Treasures
• Monuments at Sanchi (UNESCO World Heritage)
• Photos of Sanchi
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  Sanchi carved panel

v t e World Heritage Sites in India North Agra Fort · Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi · Fatehpur Sikri · Humayun's Tomb · Keoladeo National Park · Khajuraho Group of Monuments · Mountain Railways of India (Kalka-Shimla Railway)1 · Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks · Qutub Minar and its Monuments · The Red Fort complex · Taj Mahal Northeast Kaziranga National Park · Manas Wildlife Sanctuary East Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya · Mountain Railways of India (Darjeeling Himalayan Railway)1 · Sun Temple at Konark · Sundarbans National Park South Great Living Chola Temples at Thanjavur, Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram · Group of Monuments at Hampi · Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram · Group of Monuments at Pattadakal · Mountain Railways of India (Nilgiri Mountain Railway)1 West Ajanta Caves · Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park · Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus · Churches and convents of Goa · Elephanta Caves · Ellora Caves · Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka · Jantar Mantar 1 Shared with other region/s