Context: On a special initiative of Prime Minister of India , the sacred relics of Lord Buddha’s two most prominent disciples, Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, are being sent from the Sanchi Stupa to Mongolia.
About The Sanchi Stupa:
What It Is?
- The Sanchi Stupa (The Great Stupa) is a globally renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest existing Buddhist sanctuary in the world. It represents a flawless example of the evolution of ancient Indian Buddhist art, master craftsmanship, and complex monastic architecture.
Location: Located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, India.
History:
- Mauryan Foundation: The core structure of the Great Stupa was originally commissioned in the 3rd century BCE by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. Sanchi holds deep historical ties to Ashoka, served as a major cradle for his campaign to spread Buddhism across the Indian subcontinent.
- Active Era: Sanchi remained a flourishing, highly active center of Indian Buddhism until the 12th century A.D., over time supplanting earlier regional Hindu practices.
- Abandonment & Rediscovery: Following the decline of patronage, the monumental complex was eventually forgotten and fell into deep ruin. It lay hidden until its formal historical rediscovery in 1818.
- Meticulous Revival: Recognizing its immense spiritual value, organized preservation efforts began in 1881 and continued meticulously until 1919 to restore the structures to their original glory.
Key Architectural Features:
- The Great Stupa Dome: Built as a massive, solid stone hemisphere that forms the focal center of the complex, standing as one of the oldest stone structures in India.
- Detailed Toranas (Gateways): The stupa is surrounded by intricately carved ornamental gateways (Toranas) facing the four cardinal directions. These feature flawless, detailed stone carvings executed with the extreme finesse of master jewelers.
- The Iconic Ashoka Pillar: Features the surviving remains of the historic monolithic Ashoka Pillar. Its magnificent lion capital—depicting four lions standing back to back.
- The Great Bowl: A massive holy vessel carved meticulously out of a single large piece of stone, believed to have been utilized by the resident Buddhist monks during their daily communal meal gatherings.
- Diverse Monastic Ruins: The surrounding sanctuary landscape contains a vast multi-period layout of ancient monolithic pillars, structural palaces, early temples, and standard residential monasteries in various states of conservation.
- Identity of the Relics: The sacred relics preserved within the Sanchi ecosystem belong to Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, who were the two closest and most prominent disciples of Lord Buddha.
