India has been one of the greatest civilizations in the world and has contributed immensely to all fields possible. Every civilization holds its history enriched with its unique beliefs and understanding of religion. Religious beliefs and practices are witnessed through the ancient historical architectures and monuments that convey the life on the land at that moment. Sanchi Stupa is one such example of the earliest Buddhist monuments of India that attract thousands of visitors around the world.
The Great Stupa at Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh is UNESCO World Heritage Site (known for most significant of the structures of history) since 1989. The Stupa displays some of the best Buddhist artwork and has been the centrepiece of the faith in the region. The structure was built on the top of the hill, surrounded by temples, smaller stupas, and monasteries.
The main monument or Stupa no. 1 was first built by Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. It is surrounded by a railing and with four carved gateways facing four directions of the compass. The gateways were carved around 100 A.D., and are the main highlights of the largest stupa as it depicts the incidents of Gautam Buddha’s life, events important to early Buddhism, and his previous incarnations by the symbols like wheels, bodhi tree, footprints, and a horse without a rider.
The Stupa is a Sanskrit word for ‘heap’. Stupa was a very significant form of Buddhist architecture then. Stupas are large domes with a central chamber that contain the portion of Buddha ashes. Due to the ashes, the stupa is also associated with the body of Buddha. The hemispherical dome also symbolizes the heaven enclosing the earth, squared railing (Harmika) around represents the world mountain, the central pillar (Yashti) symbolized the cosmic axis that supports triple umbrella structure (Chhatraveli) that represents the Three Jewels of Buddhism- the Buddha, the dharma (doctrine), and the sangha (community).
The large Stupa is 54 feet high and 120 feet wide whereas the original stupa was half the existing size, with raised terraces that were enclosed by a wooden railing and crowned by a stone umbrella. The original structure got damaged during the 2nd century BC and was repaired and enlarged during the Sunga period, with local sandstone.
The elaborated gateways were later added during the Andhra-Satavahanas dynasty in the 1st century B.C. The center of the attraction is the entrance of the gateways with the human image of Buddha seated in a meditative pose which was added much later in the 5th century AD.
Today, Stupa at Sanchi is well preserved by UNESCO. It took 7 years of dedicated excavation and restoration by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to make the world realize its true importance. It is no wonder that Sanchi is the most visited place by the tourists around the world. According to 2016 report, almost 4.33 crore tourists visited 19 major tourist centers including Sanchi.
Tourism across the world has suffered due to the lockdowns. At Sanchi Stupa, only 400-500 visitors were witnessed on the weekends and fewer on weekdays, of which all were local visitors. As the world restores its order, the footfall is surely to increase with enhanced safety measures in place. Even at Stupa, authorities are issuing e-tickets by scanning a barcode, to reduce touch and transmission.