Stupa is famous for The Buddhist vihara at Sanchi, located at Sanchi Town in Raisen District of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.
It is the oldest stone structure in India at Sanchi was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the Great before 1300 years.
The diameter of the stupa is 36.60 meters and its height is 16.46 meters. It was built of large burnt bricks and mud mortar.
Stupas nucleus was a hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha.
The old stupa was later covered when it was expanded. The bottom part of the pillar still stands. Upper parts of the pillar are placed under a canopy nearby. This pillar has an Ashokan inscription (Schism Edict) and an inscription in the ornamental Sankha Lipi from the Gupta period.
Sanchi is remarkable place in the world for stupas, monolithic Asokan pillar, temples, monasteries and sculptural wealth.
Ashoka used the pillar for communicating his Buddhist message, and he believed that it is a way to spread Buddhist message.
The stupas are those constructed at Amaravati, Sanchi, Barhut and Gaya. “The Most Striking Architectural Ancient Fact of India” and the earliest and largest of the three stupas found in Sanchi was built by Ashoka (273-236 B.C.)
Ashok Maurya who laid the foundation of this group of monuments is said to have built 84,000 stupas, most of which have damaged.
The Sanchi was discovered in the year 1818 by General Taylor and an archaeological museum was established in 1919y Sir John Marshall.
The Sanchi Museum :
The Sanchi museum, which is the Archaeological Survey of India, houses the Ashoka pillar along with other items found from areas of Sanchi such as utensils and other items used by the monks at Sanchi.
Housing for many antiquities related to Buddhism, especially the Ashokan Pillar, the lion Capital is quite beautiful and attracts every archaeology love.
Inspirational Fact about great stupa at sanchi:
It is the oldest Buddhist sanctuary in existence and was a major Buddhist center in India defined by UNESCO heritage site.
