Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi

Sanchi is located in the Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh. Here, we find the monuments inscriptions from Maurya, Sunga, Saatavahana, Kushana as well as Gupta period. Sanchi is generally known for its three stupas out of which the first and the oldest Great Stupa was originally commissioned by Asoka. There are two more stupas there. Apart from that, there are some temples, Pillar Edicts and Monasteries. In 1960s, a Chetiyagiri Vihara has been also built there to celebrate the 2500th year of Buddha’s Parinirvana. This modern temple houses the remains of Sariputta and Mogglayan.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi

The ‘Great Stupa’ at Sanchi is the oldest stone structure of India and was originally commissioned by the Ashoka in the 3rd century BC, vandalized by Pushyamitra Sunga and rebuilt by his son Agnimitra and again improvised by Saatavahana. Thus, this stupa represents a testimony to the Maurya, Sunga as well as Saatavahana art in India.

Its nucleus was a hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha. It has upper as well as lower pradakshinapatha or circumambulatory path. It has four beautifully decorated toranas depicting various events from the life of the Buddha and the Jatakas. Figure compositions are in high relief, filling up the entire space, thus showing remarkable improvement from the Bharhut.

The narration in the inscriptions which was concise in the Bharhut has got elaborated at Sanchi. However, the Symbols continue to be used representing the Buddha. The historical narratives such as the siege of Kushinagara, Buddha’s visit to Kapilavastu, visit of Ashoka to the Ramgrama Stupa are carved with great details.

Toranas at Sanchi Stupa

Toranas surround the Stupa and they each represent love, peace, trust, and courage. These are the best examples of the Sunga art in India. The railings or vedika were made around the stupa around 200 B.C (Sunga period). By the end of the 1st century B.C., the Satavahanas extended their rule to central India. They worshipped Hindu deities but major stone renovations carried out in their time made this stupa one of the most significant of all Buddhist monuments. Four gloriously carved stone gates, or toranas, 34 feet (10.4 metres) high, were made during the Satavahana period. They were completed in the 1st century A.D. The traditions of art established in the time of the Sungas achieved greater sophistication in these magnificent toranas.

Notable points

There are more than 600 inscriptions on the Toranas which show that the carvings were the donations of the people of Vidisha. The art was created by common people such as gardeners, fishermen, housewives, householders, nuns and monks.

The toranas have two upright pillars, which support three horizontal bars. Between the pillars and the architraves, on the east and on the north, are superbly made elephants. The western gateway has ganas. The one in the south has lions. Ganas or the dwarfs can be identified by their vast bellies. Ganas later became the important motifs in Shiva temples.

The traditions of carving out Yakshis in Bharhut continued here in Sanchi also. Twenty-four beautiful women figures were made as bracket figures on the gateways. The best-known sculpture of the Sanchi stupa is this exquisite “shalabhanjika“, who depicts the fertility and abundance of the world of nature. On the eastern torana, she has been carved showing that she holds a branch of the mango tree above her. Though she is physically attached to the matrix, she is treated as though fully in the round: all the details have been carefully articulated on the rear too.

The reliefs on the toranas bring us the Jatakas of the Buddha’s previous lives as well as events from the life of Gautama Buddha. The setting of the stories richly reflects the life in the towns and villages at the time when the art was created. The Sanchi reliefs are the most important visual record of the architecture and lifestyles of the period.

The “Buddhahood” is still represented by symbols. The wheel represents the first teaching of the Buddhist dharma, the Bodhi tree represents Enlightenment, while footprints and an umbrella over a vacant space proclaim the presence of the Enlightened One.

Dhamekha Stupa

The Dhamekha stupa is located at Sarnath, 13 km away from Varanasi. It marks the deer park or Rishipattana where Buddha gave his first sermon. As per an inscription dated 1026 AD, recovered from the site, its older name is Dharmachakra Stupa. Archeologist, Alexander Cunningham in search of a relic casket bored a vertical shaft through it center down to the foundation and at a depth of around 91 centimeter he found a slab with an inscription…..Ye Dharma Hetu Prabhava Hetu…..written in Brahmi script. This inscription is of 6th or 7th century. Below this, one more stupa made of mauryan bricks has been found which gives in indication that Asoka might have commissioned it.