Sanchi

Introducing Sanchi

Rising from the plains, 46km northeast of Bhopal, is a rounded hill topped with some of India’s oldest Buddhist structures.

In 262 BC, repentant of the horrors he had inflicted on Kalinga in present-day Orissa, the Mauryan emperor Ashoka embraced Buddhism. As a penance he built the Great Stupa at Sanchi, near the birthplace of his wife. A domed edifice used to house religious relics, it was the first Buddhist monument in the region and many other religious structures followed.

As Hinduism gradually reabsorbed Buddhism, the site decayed and was forgotten. In 1818 a British army officer rediscovered its treasures, leading to immense damage at the hands of amateur archaeologists and treasure hunters before a proper restoration took place between 1881 and 1919.

Although Sanchi can be visited from Bhopal, the crossroads village is a relaxing spot to spend the night. The stupas are best visited at dawn and at dusk, when the stone still glows with the heat of the day as the sun sinks behind the surrounding hills.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009