Sanchi

Sanchi is a small town at 432 meters, located 46 km from Bhopal is best known for the UNESCO-listed Sanchi Stupa, is the oldest surviving stone structure in India and one of the most important Buddhist monuments in the world. A centerpiece of Sanchi tourism, the main stupa was originally commissioned by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE on a sacred relic site containing the ashes of the Buddha’s chief disciples, Sariputra and Moggallana. It was later enlarged to its present 16-meter height between the 2nd and 1st century BCE, and adorned with four intricately carved toranas (gateways) among the finest examples of early Buddhist sculpture, making it one of the top places to visit in Sanchi. A major pilgrimage site for nearly 1,500 years before being abandoned, it was rediscovered by British officers in 1818. Today, the complex includes numerous smaller stupas, monasteries, temples, and an Ashokan pillar with its original lion capital, all of which form a rich historical circuit in any well-planned Sanchi itinerary.