19 Facts About Sanchi Stupa

Great Stupa at Sanchi is one of the oldest stone structures in India, and an important monument of Indian Architecture.

Sanchi Stupa was her birthplace as well as the venue of her and Ashoka's wedding.

Sanchi Stupa is depicted on the reverse side of the Indian currency note of 200 to signify its importance to Indian cultural heritage.

Monuments at Sanchi Stupa today comprise a series of Buddhist monuments starting from the Mauryan Empire period, continuing with the Gupta Empire period, and ending around the 12th century CE.

The oldest, and the largest monument, is the Great Sanchi Stupa called Sanchi Stupa No 1, initially built under the Mauryans, and adorned with one of the Pillars of Ashoka.

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Altogether, Sanchi Stupa encompasses most of the evolutions of ancient Indian architecture and ancient Buddhist architecture in India, from the early stages of Buddhism and its first artistic expression, to the decline of the religion in the subcontinent.

The original Sanchi Stupa only had about half the diameter of today's stupa, which is the result of enlargement by the Sungas.

Sanchi Stupa's was called Devi and later gave Ashoka two sons, Ujjeniya and Mahendra, and a daughter Sanghamitta.

Sanchi Stupa was lodged there in a sumptuous vihara or monastery, which she herself is said to have had erected.

Style of the Shunga period decorations at Sanchi Stupa bear a close similarity to those of Bharhut, as well as the peripheral balustrades at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya.

Pillar 25 at Sanchi Stupa is attributed to the Sungas, in the 2nd–1st century BCE, and is considered as similar in design to the Heliodorus pillar, locally called Kham Baba pillar, dedicated by Heliodorus, the ambassador to the Indo-Greek king Antialkidas, in nearby Vidisha circa 100 BCE.

Southern gate of Sanchi Stupa No1, thought to be oldest and main entrance to the stupa, has several depictions of the story of the Buddha's relics, starting with the War over the Relics.

Some friezes of Sanchi Stupa show devotees in Greek attire, wearing kilted tunics and some of them a Greek piloi hat.

Southern Gateway of Sanchi Stupa No1 is thought to be oldest and main entrance to the stupa.

Sanchi Stupa only obtained seven of these portions: he failed to secure the relics of Ramagrama in the Nepal Tarai, in face of the resolute opposition of their devoted guardians, the Nagas.

Western Gateway of Sanchi Stupa 1 is the last of the four gateway of the Great Sanchi Stupa to have been built.

The art of Sanchi Stupa is thus considered as the ancestor of the didactic forms of Buddhist art that would follow, such as the art of Gandhara.

The Great Sanchi Stupa was clumsily breached by Sir Herbert Maddock in 1822, although he was not able to reach the center, and he then abandoned.

Since Sanchi Stupa remained mostly intact however, only few artefacts of Sanchi Stupa can be found in Western Museum: for example, the Gupta statue of Padmapani is at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and one of the Yashinis can be seen at the British Museum.