Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi

On a hill in the vicinity of a small village Sanchi in central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, 46 km from the city of Bhopal , stand the oldest Buddhist Stupas. They are over 2000 years old. Stupas symbolize in the Buddhism the holy tree of life and the enlightenment. After the death of Buddha, there was the period of great Maurya emperor Ashoka (reigned around 268 B.C. to 232 B.C.), who after fighting several wars and killing thousands of people converted himself to the religion of Buddhism and helped it to reach its glorious period. He should have erected 84,000 large and small Stupas in honour of Buddha. The Stupa of Sanchi is 17 meters high and accepted by the scientists as the ideal type of the Buddhist Stupa. It is a massive, windowless relic shrine and fulfills alone a symbolic function: Expression of own believes, signpost for others, the teachings of Buddha to follow. According to the legend, every Stupa accommodates at least an ash grain of Buddha. The four entrances to go round the Stupas are decorated with four magnificent grand gates.

The extremely living and detailed relief give a presentation of the high mastery of the stonemason art during the old period in India and of life in that time. Each gate varies at the same time an own head subject: The east gate depicts the birth of Buddha, the south gate depicts the fight for his remnants, and the magnificently decorated north gate depicts the miracles that are ascribed to Buddha. For the numerous visitors from all over the world represent these gates the actual glorious period of the temple place of Sanchi. Simultaneously the place is used yet today as a peaceful place of mediation and symbolize sympathy, tolerance and peaceableness.

In 1818 bumped British officer, General Taylor, suddenly into the ruins. In 1881 began professional restoration working. Between 1912 and 1919 resulted under the direction of the archeologist Sir John Marshall further restorations through which the buildings were brought in the seeing condition of today. Since 1989 the Stupas and the surrounding buildings (temples, gates, monasteries and other religious buildings) of Sanchi are listed by the UNESCO in the list of world cultural heritage sites.