Sanchi

The capital of the Sanchi pillar of Ashoka, as discovered (left), and simulation of original appearance (right). It is very similar to the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, except for the abacus, here adorned with flame palmettes and facing geese, 250 BCE. Sanchi Archaeological Museum.

by later illustrations among the Sanchi reliefs

The Great Stupa under the Sungas. The Sungas nearly doubled the diameter of the initial stupa, encasing it in stone, and built a balustrade and a railing around it.

Foreigner on a horse, circa 115 BCE, Stupa No2.

Sunga period railings were initially blank (left: Great Stupa), and only started to be decorated circa 115 BCE with Stupa No.2 (right).

Sunga pillar No25 with own capital on the side.

The Great Stupa at the time of the Satavahanas.

Temptation of the Buddha, with the Buddha on the left (symbolized by his throne only) surrounded by rejoicing devotees, Mara and his daughters (center), and the demons of Mara fleeing (right).

War over the Buddha's Relics, kept by the city of Kushinagar, South Gate, Stupa no.1, Sanchi.

King Ashoka visits Ramagrama, to take relics of the Buddha from the Nagas, but he failed, the Nagas being too powerful. Southern gateway, Stupa 1, Southern Gateway, Sanchi.

Ashoka in grief, supported by his two queens, in a relief at Sanchi. Stupa 1, Southern gateway. The identification with Ashoka is confirm by a similar relief from Kanaganahalli inscribed "Raya Asoko".

Bodhi tree temple depicted in Sanchi, Stupa 1, Southern gateway.

Temple for the Bodhi Tree (Eastern Gateway).

foreigners illustrated at Sanchi worshiping the Great Stupa

Miracle of the Buddha walking on the river Nairanjana

Procession of king Suddhodana from Kapilavastu

"The promenade of the Buddha", or Chankrama, used to depict the Buddha in motion in Buddhist aniconism.

Bimbisara with his royal cortege issuing from the city of Rajagriha to visit the Buddha

Foreigners making a dedication at the Southern Gateway of Stupa No 1

Stupas and monasteries at Sanchi in the early centuries of the current era. Reconstruction, 1900

Temple 17: a Gupta period tetrastyle prostyle temple of Classical appearance. 5th century CE

Statue of Padmapani (5th c.or 9th c.) Victoria and Albert Museum.

Pillar 26: one of the two four-lions stambha capitals at Sanchi, with lions, central flame palmette and Wheel of Law (axis, stubs of the spokes and part of the circumference only), initially located at the Northern Gateway of the Great Stupa. Sanchi Archaeological Museum.

Pillar 26: lion pillar capital at time of discovery, with Dharmachakra wheel (reconstitution). Northern Gateway.

Pillar 35 column stump (right), and bell capital with abacus, positioned upside down.

Vajrapani statue of pillar 35, 5th c. CE. Sanchi Archaeological Museum.

Temple 18 at Sanchi, an apsidal hall with Maurya foundations, rebuilt at the time of Harsha (7th century CE).

The Great Stupa as breached by Sir Herbert Maddock in 1822. Watercolor by Frederick Charles Maisey, in 1851.

Ruins of the Southern Gateway, Sanchi in 1875.

Inscribed panel from Sanchi in Brahmi script in the British Museum

The last two letters to the right of this inscription in Brahmi form the word "dǎnam" (donation). This hypothesis permitted the decipherment of the Brahmi script by James Prinsep in 1837.

General view of the Stupas at Sanchi by F.C. Maisey, 1851 (The Great Stupa on top of the hill, and Stupa 2 at the forefront)

The Great Stupa (Stupa No.1), started in the 3rd century BCE

Remains of the Ashokan Pillar in polished stone (right of the Southern Gateway), with its Edict.

Sanchi Minor Pillar Edict of Ashoka, in-situ (detail of the previous image).

Remains of the shaft of the pillar of Ashoka, under a shed near the Southern Gateway.

Side view of the capital. Sanchi Archaeological Museum.<ref name="p.25-28 Ashoka pillar"/>

Shunga vedika (railing) with inscriptions.

Lakshmi with lotus and two child attendants, probably derived from [[:File:Venus with two cupids 2.jpg|similar images of Venus]]<ref>An Indian Statuette From Pompeii, Mirella Levi D'Ancona, in Artibus Asiae, Vol. 13, No. 3 (1950) p. 171</ref>

Detail of the foreigners, in Greek dress and playing carnyxes and aolus flute. Northern Gateway of Stupa I (detail).

Foreigners holding grapes and riding winged lions, Sanchi Stupa 1, Eastern Gateway.<ref>"The Diffusion of Classical Art in Antiquity, John Boardman, 1993, p. 112 Note 91</ref>

Foreigners on horses, wearing headbands, caps and boots. Western gate of Stupa 1.

The Buddha represented by the Dharmacakra.

Bottom panel Dvarapala guardian deity or devotee.

Pillar 34 with lion.<ref>Marshall p. 52 Pillar 34</ref>

The winged lion capital of pillar 34 (lost).

Buddhist complex, famous for its Great Stupa, on a hilltop at Sanchi Town in Raisen District of the State of Madhya Pradesh, India.

- Sanchi

232 related topics

Vidisha

City in central Madhya Pradesh, India.

Relative locations of the Heliodorus pillar, Besnagar, Vidisha, Sanchi and the Udayagiri Caves.

The inscription 𑀯𑁂𑀤𑀺𑀲 Vedisa (for the city of Vidisha) at Sanchi, Brahmi script, 1st century BCE.

Pillar in the Bijamaṇḍal with an inscription of Naravarman

Capital of one of the pillars of Ashoka, from Udayagiri near Vidisha.

Archaeological plan of the old city of Besnagar

Archaeological layers at Besnagar: the Temple of Vāsudeva in the forefront, and the Heliodorus pillar in the back

The town is situated east of the Betwa River, in the fork of the Betwa and Bes rivers, 9 km from Sanchi.

Stupa

Mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as śarīra – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation.

Buddha's ashes Stupa built by the Licchavis, Vaishali and one of the earliest stupas

An early stupa, 6 m in diameter, with fallen umbrella on side at Chakpat, near Chakdara; probably Maurya, 3rd century BCE

The Ahin Posh stupa was dedicated in the 2nd century CE under the Kushans, and contained coins of Kaniska I.

The Chinese Songyue Pagoda
Row of stupas on roadside east of Leh, Ladakh.jpg (523 CE) is thought to derive from the Gandharan tower-stupa model.

View of the Wat Phra Kaew complex from the northeast, temple complex of the Emerald Buddha with stupas

The sharing of the relics of the Buddha. Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara, 2-3rd century CE. ZenYouMitsu Temple Museum, Tokyo.

Buddha relics from Kanishka's stupa in Peshawar, Pakistan. These surviving relics are now housed in Mandalay, Myanmar.

Row of chortens at roadside near Leh, Ladakh

Enlightenment Stupa at Ogoy Island, Russia

Sanchi Stupa No.2, the earliest known stupa with important displays of decorative reliefs, circa 125 BCE<ref name="Bell 15">Didactic Narration: Jataka Iconography in Dunhuang with a Catalogue of Jataka Representations in China, Alexander Peter Bell, LIT Verlag Münster, 2000 p.15ff</ref>

East Gateway and Railings of Bharhut Stupa. Sculptured railings: 115 BCE, toranas: 75 BCE.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi<ref name="Alī Jāvīd p.50">World Heritage Monuments and Related Edifices in India, Volume 1 p.50 by Alī Jāvīd, Tabassum Javeed, Algora Publishing, New York </ref> Decorated toranas built from the 1st c. BCE to the 1st c. CE.

A model resembling the Saidu Sharif Stupa, with square base and four columns (1st century CE).<ref>Le Huu Phuoc, Buddhist Architecture, Grafikol 2009, p.174-176</ref>

Loriyan Tangai decorated stupa, in the Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara (2nd century CE).

A tower-shaped stupa, thought to be the design of the second (rebuilt) Kanishka stupa, Jaulian monastery

Stupa-shaped reliquary, Kushan period, about 2nd century CE

Chilas petroglyphs, Buddhist stupa, circa 300-350 CE based on paleography<ref>Dated "between A.D. 300-350 based on Kharosthi, Brahmi, and Sodian inscriptions written before and after the drawing was completed (fig.3) In the center of the triptych, a spectacular stupa with a relatively small dome [anda], a chattravali with seven disks, columns, banners, and multiple bells illustrates a trend towards decorative profusion." {{cite journal |journal=Bulletin of the Asia Institute |date=2002 |title=Chital petroglyphs|page=152 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RuhtAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA152 |publisher=Wayne State University Press |language=en}}</ref>

The Great Stupa at Sanchi, which contained the relics of Buddha, the oldest known stupa

An early stupa at Guntupalle, probably Maurya Empire, third century BCE

Buddha statue inside a votive stupa, Sarnath

Chorten near Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet

The white stupa in Miaoying Temple, China

The Kalachakra stupa in Karma Guen, Spain

In effect, many stupas are thought to date originally from the time of Ashoka, such as Sanchi or Kesariya, where he also erected pillars with his inscriptions, and possibly Bharhut, Amaravati or Dharmarajika in Gandhara.

Shunga Empire

Ancient Indian dynasty from Magadha that controlled areas of the central and eastern Indian subcontinent from around 185 to 73 BCE.

Man on a relief, Bharhut, Shunga period.

Royal family, Shunga, West Bengal 1st century BCE.

East Gateway and Railings, Red Sandstone, Bharhut Stupa, 2nd century BCE. Indian Museum, Kolkata.

The Great Stupa under the Shungas. The Shungas nearly doubled the diameter of the initial stupa, encasing it in stone, and built a balustrade and a railing around it.

Vedika pillar with "Yavana" Greek warrior. Bharhut, Madhya Pradesh, Shunga Period, c. 100-80 BC. Reddish brown sandstone. Indian Museum, Calcutta.

The Yavanarajya inscription, dated to "year 116 of Yavana hegemony", probably 70 or 69 BCE, was discovered in Mathura. Mathura Museum.

The Heliodorus pillar was built in Vidisha under the Shungas, at the instigation of Heliodorus, ambassador of the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas. The pillar originally supported a statue of Garuda. Established circa 100 BCE.

The Sunga territory circa 100 BCE, greatly reduced to the region of Magadha only, with many independent, petty kingdoms such as such as Mathura and Panchala

Pillar with elephants supporting a wheel.

Ashoka supported by his two wives. Similar to [[:File:Sanchi King Ashoka with his Queens, South Gate, Stupa no. 1.jpg|the later relief at Gateway 1]].

Shunga masculine figurine (molded plate). 2nd–1st century BCE.

Shunga woman with child. 2nd–1st century BCE.

Shunga mother figure, with attendant. 2nd–1st century BCE.

Shunga fecundity deity. 2nd–1st century BCE.

Baluster-holding yakṣa, Madhya Pradesh, Shunga period (2nd–1st century BCE). Guimet Museum.

Amorous royal couple. Shunga, 1st century BCE, West Bengal.

Bronze coin of the Shunga period, Eastern India. 2nd–1st century BCE.

A copper coin of 1/4 karshapana of Ujjain in Malwa.

Art, education, philosophy, and other forms of learning flowered during this period including small terracotta images, larger stone sculptures, and architectural monuments such as the stupa at Bharhut, and the renowned Great Stupa at Sanchi.

Maurya Empire

Geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia based in Magadha, founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE.

Pataliputra, capital of the Mauryas. Ruins of pillared hall at Kumrahar site.

The Pataliputra capital, discovered at the Bulandi Bagh site of Pataliputra, 4th–3rd c. BCE.

A silver coin of 1 karshapana of the Maurya empire, period of Bindusara Maurya about 297–272 BC, workshop of Pataliputra. Obv: Symbols with a sun. Rev: Symbol. Dimensions: 14 × 11 mm. Weight: 3.4 g.

Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. c. 250 BCE.

Fragment of the 6th Pillar Edict of Ashoka (238 BCE), in Brahmi, sandstone, British Museum.

Bhadrabahu Cave, Shravanabelagola where Chandragupta is said to have died

The stupa, which contained the relics of Buddha, at the center of the Sanchi complex was originally built by the Maurya Empire, but the balustrade around it is Sunga, and the decorative gateways are from the later Satavahana period.

The Dharmarajika stupa in Taxila, modern Pakistan, is also thought to have been established by Emperor Asoka.

Mauryan architecture in the Barabar Caves. Lomas Rishi Cave. 3rd century BCE.

An early stupa, 6 meters in diameter, with fallen umbrella on side. Chakpat, near Chakdara. Probably Maurya, 3rd century BCE.

The two Yakshas, possibly 3rd century BCE, found in Pataliputra. The two Brahmi inscriptions starting with Gupta ashoka y.svgGupta ashoka khe.jpg... (Yakhe... for "Yaksha...") are paleographically of a later date, circa 2nd century CE Kushan.

Mauryan ringstone, with standing goddess. Northwest Pakistan. 3rd Century BCE

A map showing the north western border of Maurya Empire, including its various neighboring states.

Figure of a foreigner, found in Sarnath, 3rd century BCE. This is a probable member of the West Asian Pahlava or Saka elite in the Gangetic plains during the Mauryan period.

The Kandahar Edict of Ashoka, a bilingual edict (Greek and Aramaic) by king Ashoka, from Kandahar. Kabul Museum. (See image description page for translation.)

Silver punch mark coin of the Maurya empire, with symbols of wheel and elephant. 3rd century BCE.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

Mauryan coin with arched hill symbol on reverse.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

Mauryan Empire coin. Circa late 4th-2nd century BCE.{{citation needed|date=July 2017}}

Mauryan Empire, Emperor Salisuka or later. Circa 207-194 BCE.<ref>CNG Coins {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827130159/https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=304898 |date=27 August 2017 }}</ref>

Remains of the Ashokan Pillar in polished stone (right of the Southern Gateway).

Pillar and its inscription (the "Schism Edict") upon discovery.

The capital nowadays.<ref>Described in Marshall p.25-28 Ashoka pillar.</ref>

The distribution of the Edicts of Ashoka.<ref>Reference: "India: The Ancient Past" p.113, Burjor Avari, Routledge, {{ISBN|0-415-35615-6}}</ref>

Map of the Buddhist missions during the reign of Ashoka.

Territories "conquered by the Dharma" according to Major Rock Edict No. 13 of Ashoka (260–218 BCE).{{sfn|Kosmin|2014|p=57}}<ref name=ME368>Thomas Mc Evilly "The shape of ancient thought", Allworth Press, New York, 2002, p.368</ref>

For example, peacock figures are found on the Ashoka pillar at Nandangarh and several sculptures on the Great Stupa of Sanchi.

Bharhut

Village located in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh, central India.

The gateways (left) were made by northern (probably Gandharan) masons using Kharosthi marks, while the railings (right) were made by masons using marks in the local Brahmi script.

the Kharosthi letters were found on the balustrades

Bharhut pillar capital with rosette, beads-and-reels and flame palmette designs.

Buddha sculpture at Bharhut 11-12th cent

Worship of the Bodhi tree, with Yakshini.

Māyā's dream, Gandhara, 2–3rd century CE.

Maya's Dream, Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century CE.

Yambumane-Avayesi Jataka or Andha-Bhuta Jataka.

The Yaksha relief at Bharhut being worshipped as Hanuman by local villagers

The ruined Bharhut Stupa; seen behind it is the Lal Pahadi (Red Mountain)

Though more provincial in quality than the sculpture at Sanchi, Amaravati Stupa and some other sites, a large amount of sculpture has survived, generally in good condition.

Raisen district

District of Madhya Pradesh state of India.

The Buddhist monuments at Sanchi, a UNESCO world heritage site, are located in Raisen district.

Raisen

Town and a municipality in Raisen district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

The famous places to visit in Raisen district are Raisen Fort, Dargah, and Sanchi Stupa.

Mahāvaṃsa

Meticulously kept historical chronicle of Sri Lanka written in the style of an epic poem written in the Pali language.

Burmese Kammavaca manuscript written in Pali in the 'Burmese' script.

Indian excavations in Sanchi and other locations, confirm the Mahavamsa account of the empire of Ashoka.

Torana

Free-standing ornamental or arched gateway for ceremonial purposes seen in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain architecture of the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and parts of East Asia.

Toran from Gujarat, 20th Century, plain cotton weave with embroidery and mirror work, Honolulu Museum of Art. The hanging pieces are stylized mango leaves. Could be tied over a door as dvara-torana or hanged on a wall as bhitti-torana.

Hindola Torana. 9th century Torana in Madhya Pradesh, India.

The famous torii at Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Japan, where the Indian Hindu goddess Saraswati is worshipped as the Buddhist-Shinto goddess Benzaiten.

Hongsalmun, in red, at the tomb of legendary Korean Emperor Suro of Geumgwan Gaya and his legendary wife Queen Heo Hwang-ok believed to be an Indian princess and mother of all Koreans of Heo and Kim clans.

In Mauryan Empire, the archaeological evidence shows the Torana of Sanchi stupa dates back to 3rd century BCE.

Jataka tales

The Jātakas (meaning "Birth Story", "related to a birth") are a voluminous body of literature native to South Asia which mainly concern the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form.

The railings of the Bharhut Stupa contain roundels with jātaka illustrations

Bhutanese painted thangka of the Jātakas, 18t–19th century, Phajoding Gonpa, Thimphu, Bhutan

Pali manuscript of the Suvannasama Jataka, Khom Thai script (Khmer Mul script), Central Thailand, 18th century

Sama cares for his blind parents, an illustration of one of the Mahānipāta jātakas

Sibi Jataka in limestone at Nagarjunakonda (c. 3rd-4th Century CE), Andhra Pradesh

Vessantara Jataka, Bharhut, Shunga period

Maha-Ummagga Jataka, Gandhara, 2nd century CE

Tumshuq, Toqquz-sarai monastery, Visvamtara-jataka

Nine-colored deer jataka. Northern Wei. Mogao cave 257

Thangka of Buddha with the One Hundred Jataka Tales in the background, Tibet, 13th-14th century.

Borobudur Jataka, Level 1 Balustrade, South Wall

Modern era rendition of the Jataka tales by a Myanmar-based Vipassana center in India

King Bhuridatta although caught by Alambayana maintains his Virtue, Bhuridatta Jataka

"The snow-covered mountain child", by Soga Shōhaku circa 1764

The Story of King Mandhatar; The Story of King Candraprabha; The Tale of the Island of Vadaradvipa, Tibetan Painting from an Avadana Kalpalata Jataka Series

Tibetan Buddha Shakyamuni with "Jataka" Tales

Round Bowl Depicting the Vessantara Jataka - Silver Alloy - 18th-19th Century CE - Myanmar.

Some of the earliest such illustrations can be found at Sanchi and Bharhut.