View source for Sanchi

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox building
| image               = Sanchi Stupa from Eastern gate, Madhya Pradesh.jpg
| image_caption       = The Great Stupa at Sanchi
{{infobox map
|map=India
|relief=yes
}}
| building_type       = [[Stupa]] and surrounding buildings
| location            = [[Sanchi Town]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], India india asia
| architectural_style = [[Buddhist architecture|Buddhist]]
| start_date          = 3rd century BCE
| inauguration_date   = 
| demolition_date     = 
| height              = {{convert|16.46|m|ft|abbr=on}} (dome of the Great Stupa)
| diameter            = {{convert|36.6|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} (dome of the Great Stupa)
| other_dimensions    = 
| embedded            = {{Infobox World Heritage Site
| WHS = Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi
| Type = Cultural
| Criteria = (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)
| ID = 524
| Region = [[List of World Heritage Sites in Asia|Asia-Pacific]]
| Year = 1989
| Session = 13th
| Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/524
| locmapin    = India#India Madhya Pradesh
| coordinates = {{coord|23.47941|N|77.739616|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| child = yes
}}
}}

'''Sanchi''' (सांची) is a Buddhist complex, famous for its Great Stupa, on a hilltop at [[Sanchi Town]] in [[Raisen District]] of the [[States and territories of India|state]] of [[Madhya Pradesh]], India. It is {{convert|46|km}} north-east of [[Bhopal]], capital of Madhya Pradesh. The Great [[Stupa]] at Sanchi is one of the oldest stone structure in India<ref>[http://www.frontline.in/archives.htm Buddhist Art] Frontline Magazine May 13–26, 1989</ref> and was originally commissioned by the emperor [[Ashoka]] in the 3rd century BCE. Its nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]]. It was crowned by the ''chatra'', a parasol-like structure symbolising high rank, which was intended to honour and shelter the relics. The original construction work of this stupa was overseen by Ashoka, whose wife  Devi was the daughter of a merchant of nearby [[Vidisha]]. Sanchi was also her birthplace as well as the venue of her and Ashoka's wedding. In the 1st century BCE, four elaborately carved [[torana]]s (ornamental gateways) and a balustrade encircling the entire structure were added. The sanchi stupa built during Mauryan period was made of bricks. The complex flourished until the 11th century.

Sanchi is the center of a region with a number of stupas including Satdhara (17&nbsp;km from Sanchi, 40 stupas, the [[Relics of Sariputra and Mahamoggallana]], now enshrined in the new Vihara, were unearthed there), Morel Khurd (on a fortified hilltop with 60 stupas), Andher (17&nbsp;km NE of Vidisha), Mawas, Sonari etc. all within a few miles of Sanchi.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=IUbUDAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=buddhist+landscape&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjl2aqogdrSAhWHyoMKHYD9AoMQ6AEIHzAB#v=onepage&q=buddhist%20landscape&f=false  Buddhist Landscapes in Central India: Sanchi Hill and Archaeologies of Religious and Social Change, c. Third Century BC to Fifth Century AD, Julia Shaw, Routledge, Aug 12, 2016]</ref> Sachin to Vidisha l

== Maurya Period ==
[[File:Sanchi Ashoka pillar and capital.jpg|thumb|left|Remains of a [[Pillars of Ashoka|Pillar of Ashoka]] with four lions capital at Sanchi.]]
The 'Great Stupa' at Sanchi is the oldest structure  and was originally commissioned by the emperor [[Ashoka]] the Great in the 3rd century BCE.<ref name="Alī Jāvīd p.50">World Heritage Monuments and Related Edifices in India, Volume 1 p.50 by Alī Jāvīd,Tabassum Javeed, Algora Publishing, New York [https://books.google.fr/books?id=fg-lGID3WpQC&pg=PA50]</ref> Its nucleus was a  hemispherical brick structure built over the [[relics]] of the [[Buddha]].<ref name="Alī Jāvīd p.50" /><ref>The [[Butkara Stupa]] is an example of such an hemispherical stupa structure from the Maurya period, that was extensively documented through archaeological work</ref>  It was crowned by the chatra, a parasol-like structure symbolising high rank. The old [[stupa]] was later covered when it was expanded under the [[Shungas]].

A [[Pillars of Ashoka|pillar]] of finely polished sandstone was also erected. The bottom part of the pillar still stands. The upper parts of the pillar are at the nearby [[Sanchi Archaeological Museum]]. The pillar has an Ashokan inscription ([[List of Edicts of Ashoka|Schism Edict]])<ref>Buddhist Architecture
by Huu Phuoc Le, 2010,  p.155 [https://books.google.fr/books?id=9jb364g4BvoC&pg=PA155]</ref> and an inscription in the ornamental [[Sankha Lipi]] from the Gupta period.<ref name="Alī Jāvīd p.50" />

== Shunga period ==
[[File:Great Sanchi Stupa Gallery (3).jpg|thumb|Constructions of the [[Sunga]] period: reinforcement of the stupa and balustrade.]]
On the basis of [[Ashokavadana]], it is presumed that the stupa may have been vandalized at one point sometime in the 2nd century BCE, an event some have related to the rise of the Shunga emperor [[Pushyamitra Shunga]] who overtook the Mauryan Empire as an army general. It has been suggested that Pushyamitra may have destroyed the original stupa, and his son [[Agnimitra]] rebuilt it.<ref>"Who was responsible for the wanton destruction of the original brick stupa of [[Ashoka]] and when precisely the great work of reconstruction was carried out is not known, but it seems probable that the author of the former was [[Pushyamitra Shunga|Pushyamitra]], the first of the [[Shunga Empire|Shunga]] kings (184-148 BC), who was notorious for his hostility to Buddhism, and that the restoration was affected by [[Agnimitra]] or his immediate successor." in John Marshall, ''A Guide to Sanchi,'' p. 38. Calcutta: Superintendent, Government Printing (1918).</ref> The original brick stupa was covered with stone during the Shunga period.

During the later rule of the Shunga, the stupa was expanded with stone slabs to almost twice its original size. The dome was flattened near the top and crowned by three superimposed parasols within a square railing. With its many tiers it was a symbol of the [[dharma]], the Wheel of the Law. The dome was set on a high circular drum meant for [[circumambulation]], which could be accessed via a double staircase. A second stone pathway at ground level was enclosed by a stone balustrade with four monumental gateways ([[torana]]s) facing the cardinal directions.

The buildings which seem to have been commissioned during the rule of the Shungas are the Second and Third [[stupa]]s (but not the highly decorated gateways, which are from the following [[Satavahana]] period, as known from inscriptions), and the ground balustrade and stone casing of the Great Stupa.
<gallery>
File:Great Sanchi Stupa Side view.jpg|[[Sunga]] ballustade of the Great Stupa 1 (the decorated gateway to the left  is [[Satavahana]]).
File:Interiors of Stupa 1.JPG|Sunga balustrade and staircase, Great Stupa 1.
File:Great Sanchi Stup masonry work.jpg|Sunga brickwork, Great Stupa 1.
File:Sanchi Stupa Nr. 2 (1999).JPG|Sunga period Stupa 2.
File:Stupa 3 - Sanchi Hill 2013-02-21 4270.JPG|Sunga period stupa 3 (the decorated gateway to the right  is [[Satavahana]]).
</gallery>

== Satavahana period ==

[[File:North Gateway - Rear Side - Stupa 1 - Sanchi Hill 2013-02-21 4480-4481.JPG|thumb|right|Carved decoration of the Northern gateway to the Great Stupa of Sanchi. Torana Panels: [[Narrative art#Chaddanta Jataja, Amaravati|Chhaddanta]], Sujata's offering, [[Vessantara Jataka]], East Columns: Shakra's visit, Royal procession, [[Bimbisara]]'s visit, West Column: Foreigners, Monkeys, Kapilvastu.]]

From the 1st century BCE, the gateways and the balustrade were built and colored, the work being apparently commissioned by the [[Satavahana]].<ref name="Alī Jāvīd p.50" /> The gateways and toranas are generally dated to the 1st century CE.<ref>Ornament in Indian Architecture, Margaret Prosser Allen, University of Delaware Press, 1991, p.18 [https://books.google.com/books?id=vyXxEX5PQH8C&pg=PA18]</ref>

An inscription records the gift of one of the top [[architrave]]s of the Southern Gateway by the artisans of the Satavahana king [[Satakarni]]:
:"Gift of Ananda, the son of Vasithi, the foreman of the artisans of rajan Siri Satakarni".<ref>Original text "L1: Rano Siri Satakarnisa L2: avesanisa vasithiputasa L3: Anamdasa danam", John Marshall, "A guide to Sanchi", p. 52</ref>
DC Sircar observes that palaeographically the Hathigumpha record is slightly later than Naneghat record whereas the letters of Sanchi inscription of Satakarni resemble the script of [[Hathigumpha inscription]]. Kharavela in his inscription mentions one Satakarni, who is identified as Satakarni II, who is also identical to the one who inscribed in Sanchi. If this is true, then the dating of Sanchi gateway and balustrade belong to the much earlier period of 180-160 BC.

[[File:Multiple Rituals At Sanchi.jpg|thumb|left|Satavahana decorations on a gateway at Sanchi. The Buddha is never directly represented, due to the early [[aniconism in Buddhism]].]]
Although made of stone, they were carved and constructed in the manner of wood and the gateways were covered with narrative sculptures. They showed scenes from the life of the Buddha integrated with everyday events that would be familiar to the onlookers and so make it easier for them to understand the Buddhist creed as relevant to their lives. At Sanchi and most other stupas the local population donated money for the embellishment of the stupa to attain spiritual merit. There was no direct royal patronage. Devotees, both men and women, who donated money towards a sculpture would often choose their favourite scene from the life of the Buddha and then have their names inscribed on it. This accounts for the random repetition of particular episodes on the stupa (Dehejia 1992).

On these stone carvings the Buddha was never depicted as a human figure, due to [[aniconism in Buddhism]]. Instead the artists chose to represent him by certain attributes, such as the horse on which he left his father’s home, his footprints, or a canopy under the [[bodhi tree]] at the point of his enlightenment. The human body was thought to be too confining for the Buddha.

=== Foreign devotees ===
[[File:Foreigners at Sanchi Stupa I North Gateway.jpg|thumb|Foreigners on the Northern Gateway of Stupa I.]]
Some of the friezes of Sanchi also show devotees in Greek attire.  The men are depicted with short curly hair, often held together with a [[headband]] of the type commonly seen on [[Greek coins]]. The clothing too is Greek, complete with [[tunic]]s, capes and sandals. The musical instruments are also quite characteristic, such as the double flute called [[aulos]]. Also visible are [[carnyx]]-like  [[Cornu (horn)|horns]]. They are all celebrating at the entrance of the stupa. These men would be foreigners from north-west India visiting the Stupa, possibly [[Malla (India)|Mallas]], [[Indo-Scythians|Sakas]] or [[Indo-Greeks]] .<ref>"A guide to Sanchi" John Marshall. These "Greek-looking foreigners" are also described in Susan Huntington, "The art of ancient India", p. 100</ref>

<gallery>
File:East Gateway - Stupa 1 - Sanchi Hill 2013-02-21 4420.JPG|Satavahana period gateway to the Great Stupa.
File:Elephants At Sanchi Stupa (2).jpg|Elephants (Satavahana gateway decorations).
File:Cow Mythological Statues At Sanchi.jpg|Satavahana gateway decorations.
File:Statues Showing Prayer by Devotee At Sanchi.jpg|Prayer by devotess (Satavahana gateway decorations).
File:Statue Showing Importance Of Peepal Tree At Sanchi.jpg|Devotion around the [[Peepal tree]] (Satavahana gateway decorations).
</gallery>

== Later periods ==
[[File:Sanchi_temple_17.jpg|thumb|left|Temple 17 at Sanchi: a [[Gupta period]] [[tetrastyle]] [[prostyle]] temple of [[Classical]] appearance, an example of [[Buddhist architecture]]. 5th century CE<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=CyLiDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT283 2500 Years of Buddhism by P.V. Bapat, p.283]</ref>]]
[[File:Temple 18, Sanchi.jpg|thumb|Temple 18 at Sanchi,  an [[apsidal]] hall with  [[Maurya]] foundations, rebuilt at the time of [[Harsha]].]]
Further stupas and other religious Buddhist  structures were added over the centuries until the 12th century AD. Temple 17 is probably one of the earliest Buddhist [[temples]] as it dates to the early [[Gupta Empire|Gupta]] period (5th century CE). It consists of a flat roofed square sanctum with a portico and four pillars. The interior and three sides of the exterior are plain and undecorated but the front and the pillars are elegantly carved, giving the temple an almost ‘classical’ appearance (Mitra 1971).

Temple 45 was the last Buddhist temple built during the mid to late 9th century.<ref>[http://orca.cf.ac.uk/54362/1/U584463.pdf Reconstructing a Latina Temple Spire: Temple 45, Sanchi, Dissertation submitted to Cardiff University, Fiona Buckee, 2010]</ref> Another point to be noted that at that time the monuments were enclosed within a wall. With the decline of [[Buddhism]] in India, the monuments of Sanchi went out of use and fell into a state of disrepair. In 1818, General Taylor of the Bengal Cavalry recorded a visit to Sanchi. At that time the monuments were left undisturbed and were in a good condition.

== Western rediscovery ==
[[File:A Gate to the Stupa of Sanchi 1932.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A Gate to the Stupa of Sanchi 1932]]
[[File:Section of Stupa at Sanchi India.jpg|thumb|Mapping of the Great Stupa with measurements.]]
General Taylor who was a British officer in 1818, was the first known Western historian to document (in English) the existence of Sanchi Stupa. Amateur [[archaeologists]] and treasure hunters ravaged the site until 1881, when proper restoration work was initiated. Between 1912 and 1919 the structures were restored to their present condition under the supervision of [[John Marshall (archaeologist)|Sir John Marshall]].<ref>[http://projectsouthasia.sdstate.edu/docs/archaeology/primarydocs/Sanchi/HistArt.htm John Marshall, "An Historical and Artistic Description of Sanchi", from ''A Guide to Sanchi,'' Calcutta: Superintendent, Government Printing (1918). Pp. 7-29 on line, Project South Asia.]</ref>

Today, around fifty monuments remain on the hill of Sanchi, including three main stupas and several temples. The monuments have been listed among other famous monuments in the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Sites]] since 1989.

== Chetiyagiri Vihara and the Sacred Relics ==
[[File:Chetiyagiri Vihar 02.jpg|thumb|Chetiyagiri Vihara]]
The bone relics (asthi avashesh) of Buddhist Masters along with the reliquaries, obtained by Maisey and Cunningham were divided and taken by them to England as personal trophies.<ref>Brekke, Torkel, Bones of Contention: Buddhist Relics, Nationalism and the Politics of Archaeology, Numen, Volume 54, Number 3, 2007 , pp. 270-303(34)</ref> Maisey's family sold the objects to [[Victoria and Albert Museum]] where they stayed for a long time. The Buddhists in England, Sri Lanka and India, led by the [[Mahabodhi Society]] demanded that they be returned. Some of the relics of [[Sariputta]] and [[Moggallana]] were sent back to Sri Lanka, where they were publicly displayed in 1947.<ref>Ceylon Allowed To Keep Sanchi Relics Till May 8, Indian Express – Apr 28, 1947.</ref> It was such a grand event where the entire population of Sri Lanka came to visit them. However, they were later returned to India. But a new temple Chetiyagiri Vihara was constructed to house the relics, in 1952.<ref>BUDDHA DISCIPLES WILL BE REBURIED; Relics of Followers of Ancient Leader to Be Reinterred at Rites in India Saturday, THE NEW YORK TIMES, November 25, 1952</ref> In a nationalistic sense, this marked the formal reestablishment of the Buddhist tradition in India. Some of the relics were obtained by Burma.<ref>Sariputta and Moggallana in the Golden Land: The Relics of the Buddha's Chief Disciples at the Kaba Aye Pagoda, [[James (Jack) Daulton|Jack Daulton]], Journal of Burma Studies, Volume 4, 1999 pp. 101-128</ref>

== Inscriptions ==
[[File:Danam letters on Sanchi inscription.jpg|thumb|The last two letters to the right of this inscription in [[Brahmi]] form the word "dǎnam" (donation). This hypothesis permitted the decipherment of the [[Brahmi]] script by [[James Prinsep]] in 1837.]]
Sanchi, especially Stupa 1, has a large number of [[Brahmi]] inscriptions. Although most of them are small and mention donations, they are of great historical significance. [[James Prinsep]] in 1837, noted that most of them ended with the same two Brahmi characters. Princep took them as "danam" (donation), which permitted the decipherment of the Brahmi script,.<ref>Indian Epigraphy : A Guide to the Study of Inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, and the other Indo-Aryan Languages, Richard Salomon, Oxford University Press, 1998</ref><ref>''Ashoka: The Search for India's Lost Emperor'', [[Charles Allen (writer)|Charles Allen]], Little, Brown Book Group Limited, 2012</ref>

An analysis of the donation records <ref>A study of inscribed reliefs within the context of donative inscriptions at Sanchi, Author: Milligan, Matthew David, Thesis, p.77</ref> shows that while a large fraction of the donors were local (with no town specified), a number of them were from [[Ujjain]], [[Vidisha]], Kurara, Nadinagar, Mahisati, Kurghara, Bhogavadhan and Kamdagigam.

The inscriptions include those from Maurya, Shunga/Satavahana (175 BC-15 AD),{{citation needed|date=October 2016}} Kushana (100-150 AD),{{citation needed|date=October 2016}} Gupta (600-800 AD, see [[Sanchi inscription of Chandragupta II]]). The [[Ye Dharma Hetu]] inscription in Temple 45 may be dated to 9th century.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}}

== See also ==
{{Commons category|Sanchi}}
* [[Bharhut]]
* [[Relics of Sariputra and Mahamoggallana]]
* [[Deekshabhoomi]]

== References ==
{{BuddhasHolySites}}
{{reflist|30em}}

== Literature ==
* Dehejia, Vidya. (1992). Collective and Popular Bases of Early Buddhist Patronage: Sacred Monuments, 100 BC-AD 250. In B. Stoler Miller (ed.) ''The Powers of Art''. Oxford University Press: Oxford. ISBN 0-19-562842-X.
* Dehejia, Vidya. (1997). ''Indian Art''. Phaidon: London. ISBN 0-7148-3496-3.
* Mitra, Debala. (1971). ''Buddhist Monuments''. Sahitya Samsad: Calcutta. ISBN 0-89684-490-0

== External links ==
* [http://projectsouthasia.sdstate.edu/docs/ Source Documents and Texts in South Asian Studies]
* [http://sanchi.org/ Sanchi.org]
* [http://personal.carthage.edu/jlochtefeld/buddhism/sanchi/intro.html Sanchi Stupa—A World Heritage Site]
* [http://www.bergerfoundation.ch/wat4/museum1?museum=Sanchi&col=pays&country=Inde&genre=%&cd=7256-3191-2328:7256-3191-2325:7256-3191-2326&cdindex=2"Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh)", Jacques-Edouard Berger Foundation, World Art Treasures]
* [http://www.kamit.jp/02_unesco/01_sanchi/san_eng.htm Monuments at Sanchi (UNESCO World Heritage)]

{{World Heritage Sites in India}}
{{Raisen district}}

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[[Category:Villages in Raisen district]]
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[[Category:Buddhist art]]
[[Category:Stupas in India]]
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[[Category:Buddhist sites in Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Madhya Pradesh]]