SANCHI
COMPLEX - ART & CULTURE
News:
Inside Madhya Pradesh’s
first solar-powered town
What's
in the news?
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Sanchi has seen many a makeover – built as
a sacred site for Buddhism by Mauryan emperor Ashoka, it changed hands between
multiple emperors, was briefly forgotten and consigned to the catacombs of
history, only to be rediscovered by the British.
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Now, it charts a new course in history,
transforming itself into Madhya Pradesh’s first solar-powered town.
Sanchi:
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It is located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh.
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It lies in an upland plateau region just
west of the Betwa River.
Importance:
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Sanchi is a religious place with
historical and Archaeological significance.
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It has India’s best-preserved group of
Buddhist monuments, collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1989.
Buddhist
Monuments at Sanchi:
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The site of Sanchi comprises a group of
Buddhist monuments (monolithic pillars, palaces, temples and monasteries), all
in different states of conservation, most of which date back to the 2nd and 1st
centuries B.C.
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It is the oldest Buddhist sanctuary in existence and was a major Buddhist
centre in India until the 12th century A.D.
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The most prominent stupa found here is the
Sanchi Stupa, also known as the Great Stupa.
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Other remains at the site include several
smaller stupas, an assembly hall
(chaitya), an Ashokan pillar with inscriptions, and several monasteries
(4th–11th century CE).
Key
Features of Sanchi Stupa:
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It was built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the third century BC.
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It enshrines religious relics or remains
of the Buddha and his most revered disciples.
Structure:
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It is enclosed by a massive stone railing
pierced by four gateways, which are
adorned with elaborate carvings (known as Sanchi sculpture).
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The stupa itself consists of a base
bearing a hemispherical dome (anda),
symbolizing the dome of heaven enclosing the earth.
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It is surmounted by a squared rail unit
(harmika) representing the world mountain, from which rises a mast (yashti),
symbolizing the cosmic axis.
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The mast bears umbrellas (chatras) that
represent the various heavens (devaloka).