Historical Monument of Sanchi

Sanchi is the small village located in India, located 30 miles north east of Bhopal in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The palace is cladded with several great Buddhist monuments, dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 12th century CE. It has been declared as the world Heritage site. It was actually build by the Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd Century BC. The palace is sacred to the Buddhist from all over the world. The place is attracting domestic as well as the foreign tourists in a great way.

In March, 4123 foreign tourists and 6257 domestic tourists visited the place whereas in February 07, 5270 foreign tourists and 4380 domestic tourists visited here. Government is planning to construct the mini parks at this pace. Apart from peacock and ducks, there are plans to bring other animals and birds to beautify this beautiful place.

Sanchi is famous for the stupas, monasteries, temples and pillars. The most famous of these monuments is the Sanchi Stupa 1 built by Ashoka. It is believed to house the relics of Buddha. It is 36.5 m in diameter and rises almost 16.5 meters high. The taranas around it depict the magnificent example of the Buddhist art in the early period. The various facets of the Buddha's life are presented through the symbols like lotus for hid birth, tree for the enlightenment, thew heel for the first sermon and so on.

It has the historical importance even though the Buddha has never visited the place. Sanchi was built as the for the Buddhist studies and learning. It was through Sanchi that the Emperor Ashoka spread the message of Buddhism via his two sons, first to Sri Lanka and than to the rest of the world. At Sanchi all the scriptures of Buddha are classified under two styles – Mathura (Indian) and Gaandhaar (Foreign). In Mathura Buddha is depicted as having Indian features, while in Gandhar, Buddha is seen to have mongoloid features.

Visitors can rest or can take the leisure walk in the lawns of the monument, maintained by the Archeological survey of India. Apart from this tourists can take the excursion trip from Sanchi to Vidisha. Vidisha was an important trade center of the Sunga Dynasty, where Ashoka wsa the governor in the 3rd century BC. Ashoka married the local princess and established the contacts with Sanchi. The museum of Sanchi contains some of the historical antiques. Than comes the Udaygiri caves 13 km from Sanchi. These caves were built during the regime of Chandragupta II. Tourists can also make a visit to the Neelkantheswara Temple, which lies 60 km from Udaygiri.

The colossal Neelkantheswara temple is the center- piece, an outstanding example of 11th century Paramara architecture. Its beauty lies in its well proportionate and gracefully designed Shikhar and the delicate carving adorning its sites.

Posted by 7a'faR