Sanchi is a small village of India, located 46 km north east of Bhopal, in the central part of the state of Madhya Pradesh.

Emperor Ashoka built eight stupas here in the 3rd century BC.The site was chosen by him due to its proximity to the once prosperous kingdom of vidhisha. Other stupas and other religious Buddhist structures were added over the following centuries until the 12th century AD.

With the revival of Hinduism, the monuments of Sanchi were forgotten and fell into a state of disrepair.

The site was re-discovered in 1818 by a British officer, General Taylor. Amateur archaeologists and treasure hunters, ravaged the site until 1881, when proper restoration work was initiated. Between 1912 and 1919 the structures were restored to their present condition under the supervision of Sir John Marshall.

Today, around fifty monuments remain on the hill of Sanchi, including 3 stupas and several temples. The largest stupa, referred to as the "great stupa" is surrounded by four gateways, or toranas.

The Buddhist monuments of Sanchi, since 1989, are listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

External links

• UNESCO Sanchi
• http://www.buddhanet.net/sanchi.htm
• http://rogershepherd.com/WIW/solution12/stupa.html