Great Stupa at Sanchi
Sanchi Mahastupa · Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi
Maurya to Gupta 3rd century BCE–12th century CE (great stupa 260 BCE, gateways 25 BCE–50 CE)·Maurya / Sunga / Satavahana / Gupta Buddhist·🇮🇳 Madhya Pradesh, Raisen District, India
About
About Great Stupa at Sanchi
Earliest stone Buddhist stupa (Maurya 3rd c BCE, enlarged Sunga 1st c BCE–1st c CE) crowning hilltop at Sanchi, 36.5 m diameter hemispheric brick-and-stone dome encasing relics. Four elaborately carved toranas (gateways) and harmika-chhatra illustrate Jataka tales, marking evolution from aniconic to iconic Buddhism.
Why it mattersEarliest stone Buddhist stupa (Maurya 3rd c BCE, enlarged Sunga 1st c BCE–1st c CE) crowning hilltop at Sanchi, 36.5 m d
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Original content of central relic casket looted 19th c – whose relics?
- 02Astronomical alignment of toranas noted by Rao
Theories
- 01Torana iconography encodes early Buddhist cosmology and royal legitimation
- 02Sanchi as surrogate for inaccessible Bodh Gaya for western pilgrims
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 260 BCE by Ashoka, enlarged 150–50 BCE
- Period
- Maurya to Gupta 3rd century BCE–12th century CE (great stupa 260 BCE, gateways 25 BCE–50 CE)
- Culture
- Maurya / Sunga / Satavahana / Gupta Buddhist
- Purpose
- Relic shrine enshrining Buddha relics and pilgrim circumambulation center
- Excavation
- Excavated
260 BCE by Ashoka, enlarged 150–50 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1150 CE
Rediscovery
On the ground
Structures & features
23.4790° N · 77.7400° E · 434 m · 3 mapped features
Great Stupa No.1 (Mahastupa)
stupaMain hemispheric dome 36.5 m diameter
23.4795° N · 77.7400° EEastern Torana gateway
gatewayCarved gateway with elephant capitals
23.4797° N · 77.7403° EAshokan Pillar and Temple 17
pillar templeMauryan pillar capital and Gupta temple
23.4790° N · 77.7390° E
Gallery