Stupa No. 1

Description

Table of contents (English)

Architecture Notes

Structure and Decorations

Technical info (English)

During the Ashoka Era:

The foundations of this monastic centre were laid by the emperor Ashoka (reined circa 269-232 BC.) who built the original stupa (Stupa1) and erected a monolithic pillar in the third century BC. 

The original foundation of the Stupa of baked brick measuring 16 "× 10″× 6" in dimension was built on the mound of soil that earlier covered the relics of Buddha which forms the core of the Stupa that is now sealed and unapproachable for the devotees. The basic dome-shaped structure was almost half the size of the modern day's stupa with a very low height. A square fence-like structure called hermica is erected on top of the dome with a stone umbrella structure in the middle to pay homage to the relics that lay inside the stupa.

During the Shunga Period

After the reign of the Mauryas, the Sanchi Stupa was vandalised by Pushyamitra Shunga, the army general of the Maurya empire who took over as the Shunga emperor 50 years after the death of Ashoka in the mid 2nd century BCE being an unbeliever to Buddhism. 

The stupa was later enlarged and encased in stone around the 1st century BCE under the Shungas and four magnificently carved gateways called toranas were added at the cardinal points. These consist of square posts supporting three curved architraves with scrolled ends. They are completely covered with relief sculptures depicting Jatakas (stories of the Buddha's earlier incarnations), scenes from the life of the historical Buddha and Buddhist symbols. These were also later additions, constructed by the Satavahanas between first century BCE and first century CE.

In the earliest stages Buddhist art was aniconic and therefore Buddha was never represented in human form. His presence was alluded through emblems such as a riderless horse, an empty throne beneath a bodhi tree, a wheel or a trident.

The main stupa was originally smaller, and was expanded to its current height of 54 ft under the Shungas. The harmika (square rail unit) surmounting it, the yashti (mast) representing the cosmic axis and the chhatras (umbrellas) signifying the many heavens were also added during this period. Along with a chaitya vihar (assembly hall) and an early fifth-century Gupta temple with a pillared portico, the site also houses two other stupas—one (first century BCE) sports Shunga-period railing decorations and the other (first century BCE–first century CE) has a single toran.

Discovery and Excavation:

British General Henry Taylor in 1818, discovered the Sanchi stupa site which was forgotten from 13th to 18th century, and recorded it in his writings. British government that ruled India at that time made many attempts to conserve the site of Sanchi from 1880. Restoration work began in 1881, excavation between 1912 to 1919 by General John Hubert Marshall who wrote a book named " A Guide to Sanchi " was carried out as the Director General of Archeological Survey of India (ASI) under the finance of Bhopal State. The restoration work was carried out under his guidance and a museum was set out at the base of the Sanchi Hill with the support of the Begum of Bhopal, Sultan Jahan.

Architect Edwin Lutyens was asked by Lord Charles Hardinge to incorporate symbols of India's architectural past into the building, and modelled the colonnade to carry a Sanchi-style dome and balustrade railing. In 1963, the dome of Kolkata's Birla Planetarium was constructed to mirror the one at Sanchi. This was followed by similar constructions at the Ambedkar Udyan and the Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal in Lucknow.