Madhya Pradesh and its ancient treasures; Sanchi

How long will this Stupa stand? An ancient budhist relic that stands firm as a symbol of great historic value. The Sanchi stupa near Bhopal, MP is an ancient stupa which is still standing thanks to the long lasting patronage of the begums of Bhopal. The stupa is a pilgrimage stop for budhists and especially Sanchi is an important one for many.

It stands as one large nound on a hill with several relics surrounding it. When you enter the compound, all the four gates have the Jataka tales carved on them. Which truly stand for the fact that a picture tells you a thousand words. The gates are ornately and beautifully carved and made me completely flabergasted at its beauty.

Once you have entered the compound of the Stupa then you are supposed to walk clockwise around the Stupa chanting the budhist spell ‘ Om Mani Padme Ham’ constantly. This is their form of prayer and asking god for their wishes. When I was walking in circles around the structure, I could feel the holy and historic auras, that the place had and all the times it has seen that have gone by. The structures around around and close to the Stupa have all fallen with only the foundations still in place and yet the Stupa stands tall and proud for the world to see.

When Sanchi Stupa was first discovered, Shahjahan Begum of Bhopal provided patronage to its preservation and its documentation even though many foreign dignitaries and museums came and wanted to take away parts of the structure. Historians were called in to decode the writings on the Stupa and were told to document every finding about the place and structure itself.

The Stupa was not made because of one person, but was created with the contributions of many. The people who contributed to the building of the stupa have been immortalized in history with their names inscribed on the walls of the stupa boundary.

The structures close to the Stupa which seem to be rooms for people to live in, were probably made for monks who live their and took care of the Stupa and performed religious ceremonies at the area for everyone who came by to offer their prayers.

We have this major landmark in our midst because of their patronage to our history and culture and it is a must see for everyone.