Great Stupa: From Sanchi to Europe

Great Stupa of Sanchi

• A stupa serves as a Buddhist commemorative monument, often housing sacred relics of the Buddha.
• The Great Stupa of Sanchi was commissioned by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE, making it the oldest and largest structure in a complex featuring numerous stupas, temples, and monasteries.
• The Sanchi complex showcases both the prosperity and decline of Buddhist art and architecture in India, emphasized by the remarks of Debala Mitra, a past director-general of the Archaeological Survey of India.
• It ranks among the oldest standing stone structures in India, believed to house the Buddha's relics, and was constructed under the supervision of Ashoka's wife, Devi.

Architectural Features

• The original stupa comprises a plain hemispherical body topped by a chhatra (parasol).
• Notable for its ornamental gateways (toranas), the Sanchi stupa features four gateways oriented to the cardinal directions, built in the 1st century BCE during the Satavahana dynasty.
• Each gateway consists of two square pillars supporting three curved architraves, adorned with intricate bas-reliefs and sculptures depicting the Buddha's life and tales from the Jataka.

Art and Symbolism

• The art on the toranas is characterized by rhythm, symmetry, and elaborate floral motifs, blending decorative beauty with spiritual narratives.
• Unlike typical representations of Buddha, these gateways do not depict him in human form but use symbolic imagery.
• Some scenes include unorthodox depictions of amorous interactions, reflecting a blend of cultural expressions during that period.

East Gate and Its Replica

• The East Gate is particularly famous among the Sanchi toranas and was restored following its discovery in ruins by British officer Henry Taylor in 1818.
• Alexander Cunningham performed the first formal survey and excavations of Sanchi, establishing its historical significance.
• The recent replica of the East Gate was unveiled at the Humboldt Forum museum in Berlin, standing 10 meters high, 6 meters wide, and weighing around 150 tonnes, completed in December 2022.