3. HISTORY OF SANCHI STUPA
The Great Stupa (also called stupa no. 1) was originally built in
the 3rd century BCE by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka and is
believed to house ashes of the Buddha. The simple structure
was damaged at some point during the 2nd century BCE. It was
later repaired and enlarged, and elements were added; it
reached its final form in the 1st century BCE. The building is
120 feet (37 metres) wide and 54 feet (17 metres) high.
4. SANCHI STUPA ARCHITECTURE
Sanchi Stupa is known for its unique architecture. Anda, Harmika,
Chhatra, and many other constituents of the Great Stupa can be
experienced by visiting the site. This place is also surrounded by
some of the most captivating places in Bhopal. Following are the
three fundamental features of Sanchi Stupa.
A hemispherical mound called Anda
A square railing called Harmika
A central pillar supporting a triple umbrella form called Chattra
5. MATERIAL USED IN BUILDING SANCHI
STUPA
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.
Artisans have used stone, stucco, terracotta, wood,
lacquer, and metals such as bronze, gold, and silver
to recreate them.
6. COLOUR OF SANCHI STUPA
The new denomination has Motif
of Sanchi Stupa on the reverse,
depicting the country's cultural
heritage. The base colour of the
note is Bright Yellow.
7. STRUCTURE OF SANCHI STUPA
At its simplest, a stupa is a dirt burial mound faced
with stone. In Buddhism, the earliest stupas
contained portions of the Buddha's ashes, and as a
result, the stupa began to be associated with the
body of the Buddha. Adding the Buddha's ashes to
the mound of dirt activated it with the energy of
the Buddha himself.
8. FACTS ABOUT SANCHI STUPA
Sanchi Stupa was commissioned by Emperor Ashoka and supervised by
his queen Devi and daughter Vidisha.
Sanchi Stupa remained deserted and undiscovered from the 14th century
until the year 1818 when General Taylor rediscovered the site.
Sir John Marshall established an archaeological museum here in 1919,
which is today known as Sanchi Museum.
The pillar of Sanchi Stupa has an Ashokan inscription called Schism Edict.
It also has an inscription in the ornamental Sankha Lipi from the Gupta
period.
It’s the oldest stone structure in India.
After the reign of the Mauryas, the Sanchi Stupa was vandalised by
