Dhamek Stupa
| Dhamek Stupa धामेक स्तूप (in Hindi) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| Status | Preserved |
| Location | |
| Location |  Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India |
  Location in Uttar Pradesh, India  Dhamek Stupa (Uttar Pradesh) | |
| Administration | Archaeological Survey of India |
| Geographic coordinates | 25°22′51″N 83°01′28″E / 25.3808°N 83.0245°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Stupa |
| Style | Buddhist, Gupta |
| Completed | 500 CE |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 28 metres (92 feet)[1] |
| Width | 28 metres (92 feet)[1] |
| Height (max) | 43 metres (141 feet)[1] |
| Materials | white makrana marble |
Dhamek Stupa (also spelled Dhamekh and Dhamekha, traced to Sanskrit version Dharmarajika Stupa, which can be translated as the Stupa of the reign of Dharma) is a massive stupa located at Sarnath in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India.[2]
Location
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Dhamek Stupa is located in Sarnath, 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) to the northeast of Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Description
Dhamek Stupa is the most massive structure in Sarnath.[3] In its current shape, the stupa is a solid cylinder of bricks and stone reaching a height of 43.6 meters and having a diameter of 28 meters. The basement seems to have survived from Ashoka's structure, while the stone facing displays delicate floral carvings characteristic of the Gupta era. The wall is covered with exquisitely carved figures of humans and birds, as well as inscriptions in Brahmi script.[4] The stupa was enlarged on six occasions but the upper part is still unfinished.[5] While visiting Sarnath in 640 CE, Xuanzang recorded that the colony had over 1,500 priests and the main stupa was nearly 300 feet (91 m) high.[6]
An Ashoka pillar with an edict engraved on it stands near the site.
History
The Dhamek Stupa marks the precise location where the Buddha preached his first discourse to his first five disciples (Kaundinya, Assaji, Bhaddiya, Vappa and Mahanama), and where all five eventually became fully liberated.[7] This event marked the formation of the sangha. Several of the ancient sources describe the site of this first sermon as a Mriga-dayaa-vanam or a sanctuary for animals. (In Sanskrit, the word mriga is used in the sense of game animals, with deer being the most common).
After the parinirvana of the Buddha in 544 BCE, his remains were cremated and the ashes were divided and buried under eight stupas, with two further stupas encasing the urn and the embers. The Dhamek Stupa was presumably among these eight stupas. In 249 BCE, Mauryan King Ashoka commissioned the expansion of the Dhamek Stupa.[8] The Dhamek Stupa was further expanded in 500 CE.[9]
The earliest mention of the Dhamek Stupa in modern literature was by Jonathan Duncan in 1794.[10]
Gallery
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Dhamek Stupa, a watercolour by Abdullah, Shaikh, 1819 -
Dhamekh Stupa -
History of Dhamekh Stupa -
Dhamekh Stupa close-up -
Dhamekh Stupa wall close-up -
Sarnath - Plan of Excavations
References
- ^ a b c https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/Sarnath/Sarnath-attractions-that-you-shouldnt-skip/ps56469286.cms
- ^ "Dhamekh Stupa Sarnath, Varanasi India". iloveindia.com.
- ^ "Dhamekh Stupa". Varanasicity.com. Retrieved 16 October 2006.
- ^ "Dhamekh Stupa". Retrieved 19 September 2006.
- ^ Bradnock, Robert W. Footprint India. Footprint Travel Guides, 2004. ISBN 1-904777-00-7. Page 191.
- ^ Arnett, Robert A. India Unveiled. Atman Press, 2006. ISBN 0-9652900-4-2.
- ^ "Historical Places of the Buddha | Vipassana Research Institute".
- ^ "Stupas". Indian Heritage. Archived from the original on 8 January 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2006.
- ^ Sir Banister Fletcher's a History of Architecture, 20th ed. (ed. by Dan Cruickshank). Architectural Press, 1996. ISBN 0-7506-2267-9. Page 646.
- ^ Cunningham, Alexander (1871). Four reports made during the years 1862-63-64-65. Vol. 1. Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India: Archaeological Survey of India. pp. 103–30.
