Stupa

A stupa (Sanskrit: m.,stūpa "heap") is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (śarīra - typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns), and used as a place of meditation.

Description and history

Stupas originated as pre-Buddhist tumuli in which śramaṇas were buried in a seated position called chaitya. After the parinirvana of the Buddha, his remains were cremated and the ashes divided and buried under eight mounds with two further mounds encasing the urn and the embers. The earliest archaeological evidence for the presence of Buddhist stupas dates to the late 4th century BCE in India. Buddhist scriptures claim that stupas were built at least a century earlier. It is likely that before this time, stupas were built with non-durable materials such as wood, or even as just burial mounds, little is known about these early stupas, particularly since it has not been possible to identify the original ten monuments. However, some later stupas, such as at Sarnath and Sanchi, seem to be embellishments of earlier mounds. The earliest evidence of monastic stupas dates back to the 2nd century BCE. These are stupas that were built within Buddhist monastic complexes. These stupas replicated older stupas made of wood in stone. Sanchi, Sarnath, Amaravati and Bharhut are examples of stupas that were shaped in stone imitating previous wooden parts.

Great Stupa of Universal Compassion

The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion is a sacred Buddhist monument being constructed in Australia near Bendigo in central Victoria. The basic idea for building this stupa came from Lama Yeshe, and after his passing Lama Zopa Rinpoche decided to model the stupa on the Great Stupa of Gyantse, which is 600 years old. When completed, the Bendigo stupa's exterior will look like an exact replica, and will be 50m high and its four sides will each be 50m long, making it one of the largest Buddhist monuments in the Western world. Buddhists say that viewing the stupa will help purify the mind.

The Bendigo stupa is being designed to last 1,000 years. The interior will have teaching rooms, a central temple, library, and 80 ornate shrine rooms. It will eventually house the 2.5 metre Jade Buddha for Universal Peace statue, the world’s largest gem-quality jade Buddha. There is a vast collection of Asian sacred relics and statues on display at the Great Stupa exhibition centre.

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh (MP) (/ˈmɑːdjə prəˈdɛʃ/,   , meaning Central Province) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore. Nicknamed the "heart of India" due to its geographical location in India, Madhya Pradesh is the second-largest state in the country by area. With over 75 million inhabitants, it is the sixth-largest state in India by population. It borders the states of Uttar Pradesh to the north-east, Chhattisgarh to the south-east, Maharashtra to the south, Gujarat to the west, and Rajasthan to the northwest.

The area covered by the present-day Madhya Pradesh includes the area of the ancient Avanti mahajanapada, whose capital Ujjain (also known as Avanti) arose as a major city during the second wave of Indian urbanisation in the sixth century BCE. Subsequently, the region was ruled by the major dynasties of India, including the Gurjar pratihara, Mauryans, Gupta Empire, Harshavardhana, then Rajput kings of Paramara, Chandelas, Bundela, Tomaras, subsequently by the Mughals and later by the Marathas. By the early 18th century, the region was divided into several small kingdoms which were captured by the British and incorporated into Central Provinces and Berar and the Central India Agency. After India's independence, Madhya Pradesh state was created with Nagpur as its capital: this state included the southern parts of the present-day Madhya Pradesh and north-eastern portion of today's Maharashtra. In 1956, this state was reorganised and its parts were combined with the states of Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal to form the new Madhya Pradesh state with Bhopal as its capital; the Marathi-speaking Vidarbha region was removed and merged with the then Bombay State. This state was the largest in India by area until 2000, when its southeastern Chhattisgarh region was made a separate state.