• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Time Travel Turtle

A travel blog with stories beyond the brochure

  • HOME
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT ME
  • BY COUNTRY
    • WEST EUROPE
      • Belgium
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Ireland
      • Liechtenstein
      • Luxembourg
      • Netherlands
      • Northern Ireland
      • Scotland
      • Switzerland
      • Wales
    • NORTH EUROPE
      • Estonia
      • Finland
      • Latvia
      • Lithuania
      • Norway
      • Sweden
    • SOUTH EUROPE
      • Cyprus
      • Gibraltar
      • Greece
      • Holy See
      • Italy
      • Malta
      • Portugal
      • San Marino
      • Spain
    • EAST EUROPE
      • Austria
      • Belarus
      • Croatia
      • Czech Republic
      • Hungary
      • Montenegro
      • Poland
      • Serbia
    • NORTH ASIA
      • China
      • Japan
      • Kazakhstan
      • Kyrgyzstan
      • Mongolia
      • North Korea
      • Tajikistan
      • Uzbekistan
    • SOUTH ASIA
      • Cambodia
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Myanmar
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Sri Lanka
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • NORTH AMERICA
      • Antigua & Barbuda
      • Belize
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • USA
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Uruguay
    • AFRICA
      • Egypt
      • Morocco
      • Namibia
      • South Africa
    • OCEANIA
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
    • MIDDLE EAST
      • Jordan
      • Turkey
  • MOST POPULAR
    • The world’s oldest backpacker
    • Orangutans in Borneo
    • The need for speed
    • Trying to get out of the slum
    • The lake swamped with tourism
    • Journey into Dreamland
    • The village where life begins again
    • Is Cambodia safe for travellers?
    • Making the perfect gin and tonic
  • UNESCO

The Great Stupa at Sanchi

March 17, 2020 | Michael Turtle | 5 Comments

WORLD HERITAGE SITE

Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, India

The monuments at Sanchi in India are one of the most important Buddhist complexes in the world – and the highlight is the incredible Great Stupa of Sanchi.

Today we know Buddhism as one of the world’s major religions, followed by about 500 million people around the world. But all things have to start somewhere… and by someone.

Now, you may think that Buddhism was started by Buddha – and that’s obviously not wrong. It was his life in the 6th century BC that was the genesis of the religion. As Buddha travelled through modern-day India and Nepal, teaching his messages of peace and equality, he inspired people to follow his teachings.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

I’ve written previously about Buddha and his birthplace of Lumbini and I would recommend having a read of that story, if you’re interested.

>> My story about Lumbini: the birthplace of Buddha <<

But although Buddha may have begun the spiritual side of Buddhism, there’a actually another man we should probably credit for turning it into a mainstream religion.

His name was Ashoka and it’s here at the Buddhist complex of Sanchi in India that we find the most impressive monument from his life – the Great Stupa of Sanchi.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

But before I tell you a bit more about the stupa, it’s worth quickly mentioning the greater legacy that he left us: Buddhism as a world religion.

Emperor Ashoka and Buddhism

Ashoka was an Indian Emperor in the 3rd century BC. Like many rulers in that part of the world back then, he waged battles to extend his territory and increase in power. But one day, he had a crisis of conscience.

Apparently, after one particular battle, he looked out at the huge death toll his war was causing and he became traumatised by it. He decided something needed to change and wondered if there was an alternative to violence.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

This brought him to Buddhism, a faith that had been practiced in the 400 years since the death of Buddha, but only be a relatively small number of followers in the Ganges valley.

Ashoka saw a way forward through Buddhism. He became a true believer, fascinated by the teachings of Buddha. He had a new plan to conquer minds and heart with morality rather than weapons.

And so Ashoka set out to teach this new peaceful religion to everyone in his empire – and beyond. He thought that if he could convince the rest of the world that Buddhism was the path to enlightenment, he could end conflict and suffering.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

Emperor Ashoka effectively made Buddhism the official religion of India.

He travelled through his lands, building monuments in the name of Buddha…

He erected pillars with inscriptions on them – instructions for how people were to follow this new faith…

And he even uncovered the relics of Buddha himself and spread them to tens of thousands of smaller stupas.

Many of these monuments, stupas, and pillars are now lost to us more than 2000 years later. However, enough remain that we can get a sense of this physical spread of Buddhism throughout the subcontinent, and how it very quickly transformed from a fringe cult into a mainstream religion.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

And that brings us back to the most impressive of these remaining monuments – the Great Stupa at Sanchi.

The history of Sanchi

Emperor Ashoka built the Great Stupa at Sanchi in the 3rd century BC on a hill about 10 kilometres from the city of Vidisha.

At the time, Vidisha was a wealthy trading city that embraced Buddhism, which is probably one of the reasons Ashoka chose this site. But historians think it also had to do with a woman.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

Apparently Ashoka fell in love with a women from Vidisha called Devi. Sometimes she is referred to as his wife.

Regardless of whether they were married or not, Devi wouldn’t follow him back to the capital to live with him there. So it’s thought Ashoka built the stupa here as a tribute to her.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

In the following years – and following centuries – Sanchi became an important Buddhist centre. Smaller stupas were built around the main one, and then came temples and monasteries.

There was Buddhist activity here until at least the 12th century AD and, if you explore further afield, you’ll find other small satellite communities that were established in the region by other Buddhists.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

Even though today you can see a lot of the later stupas and the archaeological remains of the temples and monasteries, there is still no doubt that the Great Stupa is the most important part of the Sanchi site.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi

As I arrive at Sanchi and walk up from the entrance, I can see the Great Stupa in front of me. Immediately I’m struck by its size and its elegant peaceful shape. But it’s only when I get closer that I see its real treasure in the detail.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

The Great Stupa that Emperor Ashoka built was about half the size of the current one and was made of large bricks and mud mortar.

It was about 50 years after Ashoka’s death that it was enlarged using local sandstone.

It wasn’t until the 1st century BC that the elaborately-carved gateways were added – and they are one of the things that makes the Great Stupa of Sanchi so special today.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

Standing beneath the first of these gateways and looking up, I can see a whole range of carvings in the stone. Some are just patterns, some are symbols, and some seem to be intricate representations of scenes.

In fact, as I listen to a guide talk about the artworks carved into the stone, I realise that there is a huge amount of meaning in each small part of the gateways. And considering there are four of them and the carvings are on both sides, you could spend a lot of time looking at them.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

Each of them has a set of four lions, elephants, or pot-bellied dwarves supporting a grid with three architraves, and between the architraves are the figures of horsemen and elephants.

In these architraves are the important scenes. Across all four gateways, you can find examples of historical scenes like the Siege of Kushinagar and Ashoka visiting the Stupa of Ramagrama.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

There are also scenes from the life of Buddha, such as him leaving home, his first sermon, and his enlightenment.

And then there are other important narratives from Buddhism, such as the story of Chhaddanta Jataka, a previous incarnation of Buddha.

You can use some stairs to go to the upper terrace of the Great Stupa and walk around, getting a closer view of the carvings on the inside of the gateways.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

Although the overall size of the structure may appear to be the most impressive thing on first glance, it’s standing up here and looking at this art from 2000 years ago that is the most special thing to me.

Visiting Sanchi

It’s about an hour’s drive to get to Sanchi from Bhopal (a bit more with bad traffic) and there are some other things you can explore in the area, including the Udaigiri Caves and smaller Ancient Buddhist settlements like Satdhara or Sonari.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India

Most people who visit Sanchi use Bhopal as a base because there are interesting things to see in the city itself, and it’s a good launching pad to other sites in the region. That includes another World Heritage Site at the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters.

THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN BHOPAL

I have some suggestions for good accommodation in Bhopal here, which is the best base from which to explore the region.

BACKPACKER

If you’re looking for a good budget option, StayInn Hostel has private rooms.

BUDGET

A nice cheap option amongst the action is FabHotel Siya Palace.

BOUTIQUE

If you’re looking for a comfortable business-style hotel, The Courtyard by Marriott is the best in Bhopal.

LUXURY

And I think the nicest hotel in Bhopal, with some lovely history, is the Jehan Numa Palace Hotel.

It is technically possible to get to Sanchi by bus from Bhopal but it is quite tricky if you don’t know what you’re doing. If you want to go by public transport, train is a better option – although there aren’t many each day.

If you would like a private tour to take you out the Sanchi, you could try this option or this option. Check the prices for the number of people in your group because it will get much cheaper per person the more you have with you.

This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more info click here. You can see all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites I’ve visited here.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Simon |

    March 5, 2019 at 8:29 pm

    Reply

    Beautiful place!
    Would love to explore it for sure.

  2. Danica Watson |

    March 26, 2019 at 5:35 pm

    Reply

    Very much excited to visit after looking at these scenarios.

  3. martha cain |

    October 14, 2020 at 9:34 am

    Reply

    The holy grave of the Buddha that has the remains of the enlightened one means much to the Sanga ; the vanishing faithful, worldwide. Just as Red China is trying to absorb & recreate Tibet for Han Chinese. Trains are now connecting Tibet with all cities in China. Before I die, I need to see this…all before it’s gone ; as my own sacred yatra, my journey, it’s own destination.

  4. Pawan Ranta |

    November 2, 2020 at 5:36 pm

    Reply

    Loved the post, Micheal. Not just Askoka, Buddhism was supported and spread by many great kings. Kanishka — the 2nd century AD ruler of Kushan dynasty — immensely contributed to the spread of Budhhism.

    Budhhist stupas have a distinct architecture. The gateway and architraves you are referring to are called Torana.
    Thanks.

Primary Sidebar

This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

Want Occasional Updates?

Sign up to be the first to hear the latest about the adventures of Time Travel Turtle. You'll also get access to special offers and exclusive news.
Thank you! You have successfully subscribed to our newsletter.

Search

  • PRIVACY POLICY