We took the opportunity of being in this state to explore further than the capital and it was a wonderful experience.
We visited three places of note:
Sanchi Sitting on a hill –top the great Stupa is one of the earliest religious structures in India and a World Heritage site. The stupa is surrounded by some of the richest sculptures you will see; a place of serenity and calm dating back to the 3rd Century BC.
It became a place of pilgrimage during the reign of the Emperor Ashoka. It was surrounded by monasteries but later was deserted until Sir Alexander Cunningham unearthed two soap stone relic boxes containing bone fragments of two of Buddhas closest disciples. The discovery made Sanchi a place of worship once more and the caskets are displayed in the new Buddhist temple that was built on the site in November each year.
The stupa is central to Buddhist worship. It was Buddha’s way – he took his begging bowl, staff and cloth and arranged them using the cloth as a base and the upturned begging bowl and the stick as a spire. Originally they were simple burial mounds but then they took on immense symbolic significance.
The great Stupa is surrounded by four gateways called “toranas” which were added around 450 AD. They are amazing sculpted gateways where the depictions are exquisitely presented and all different. We could recognize animal processions, warriors, Greeks who had curly hair, mythical animals, again possibly Greek and beautiful women with diaphanous saris and intricate hairstyles.
We visited three places of note:
Sanchi Sitting on a hill –top the great Stupa is one of the earliest religious structures in India and a World Heritage site. The stupa is surrounded by some of the richest sculptures you will see; a place of serenity and calm dating back to the 3rd Century BC.
It became a place of pilgrimage during the reign of the Emperor Ashoka. It was surrounded by monasteries but later was deserted until Sir Alexander Cunningham unearthed two soap stone relic boxes containing bone fragments of two of Buddhas closest disciples. The discovery made Sanchi a place of worship once more and the caskets are displayed in the new Buddhist temple that was built on the site in November each year.
The stupa is central to Buddhist worship. It was Buddha’s way – he took his begging bowl, staff and cloth and arranged them using the cloth as a base and the upturned begging bowl and the stick as a spire. Originally they were simple burial mounds but then they took on immense symbolic significance.
The great Stupa is surrounded by four gateways called “toranas” which were added around 450 AD. They are amazing sculpted gateways where the depictions are exquisitely presented and all different. We could recognize animal processions, warriors, Greeks who had curly hair, mythical animals, again possibly Greek and beautiful women with diaphanous saris and intricate hairstyles.
Very nice picture of you three...Anthony is getting so tall!!! That is Anthony isn't it?
ReplyDeleteLove reading your blog...
Becky