Bodhgaya

Bodhgaya hisattva, having renounced the luxurious life of Prince Siddhartha, became Gautama, the ascetic. After leaving his home, he started walking in the southeastern direction from Kapilavastu and came to Vaishali. There, he listened briefly to the teaching of Arada Kalapa, an aberrant samkhya, but left dissatisfied. Crossing the river Ganges, he once again entered the kingdom of Magadha and came to Rajgir, its capital, where he listened to the yogic teachings of Rudraka. Again dissatisfied, he left the place, followed by five ascetics. Along with them, he came to the village of Uravilva, situated on the banks of the Nairanjana River, close to the place now known as Bodhgaya. There, they engaged in long, austere practices. For the first two years, Gautama ate only one grain of rice a day and for the next four years, he ate nothing at all. Despite almost full degeneration of his body, he remained sitting in continual meditation.

Six years after his initial renunciation, he realized that extreme mortification does not lead to liberation. He arose and broke the austerities. The five ascetics got upset and left for Benares.

As his former garments had perished, he took a yellow shroud from the corpse of a servant girl awaiting cremation nearby. To help him wash it, Indra Deva struck the ground to form a pond. A local Brahmin's daughter, Sujata, approached him and offered him a golden bowl filled with rice, prepared in the essence of the milk of one thousand cows. Renewed, he bathed and then walked to a nearby cave to continue his meditation. However, the earth shook and the voices of the earlier Buddhas resounded in the air, telling him that this was not the place of his enlightenment. They advised him to proceed to the nearby Bodhi tree. The sites, where these events took place, were seen by the Chinese pilgrims in the fifth and seventh centuries. The records mention that stupas had been constructed at each of the sites. However, none of these exist today.

As Buddha walked to the Bodhi tree, Svastika, a graincutter, gave him a bundle of kusha grass. A flock of birds flew around him three times. When he entered the area around the tree, the earth shook. He made a seat from the kusha grass for himself, on the eastern side of the tree and after seven circumambulations sat down facing east. He made the great resolve of not rising again, till enlightenment had been attained, even if his skin, bones and flesh crumble away. Sending forth a beam of light from the center of his eyebrows, he invoked Mara, who came to challenge him. Mara first dispatched his horrible armies and then his enticing daughters, but Buddha remained unmoved and defeated him, calling upon the earth and her goddess as his witness. He continued in profound meditation for three nights and finally realized the Supreme Enlightenment at dawn. The air filled with flowers and light and the earth trembled seven times.

For seven days, Buddha continued to meditate beneath the tree, without moving from his seat and for the next six weeks, He remained in the vicinity. During the second week he paced, lost in thoughts, with lotus flowers springing from his footsteps. He pondered whether or not to teach. The chankramanar jewel walk later represented this event. The walk consists of a low platform adorned with eighteen lotuses, which now runs close to and parallel to the north side of the Mahabodhi Temple. For another week after the walk, He sat under the Bodhi tree. The Animeshalochana Stupa, situated to the north of the Chankramanar, later marked this spot. Brahma and Indra offered a hall made of the seven precious elements, where Buddha sat for a week, radiating lights of five colors from his body to illuminate the Bodhi tree. Huen Tsang described this site as being to the west of the tree and remarked that with time the precious elements changed to stone. Today, Ratnaghara stands identified by some as a roofless shrine to the north of Chankramanar.

During a week of unusually inclement weather, the Naga king, Muchalinda wrapped his body seven times around the meditating Buddha, protecting him from the rain, wind and insects. Huen Tsang saw a small temple next to the tank, believed to be the Naga's abode. He described it as lying to the southeast of the Bodhi tree. Presently, it is identified as the dry pond in Mucherim village near Bodhgaya.

While Buddha was meditating beneath the Ajapala nigrodha tree, Lord Brahma came and requested him to teach the Dharma. Huen Tsang saw this tree, along with a small temple and stupa beside it, at the southeast corner of the Bodhi tree enclosure. It is thought that the site is now within the Mahanta's graveyard, near the present eastern gate.

Buddha spent the seventh week seated beneath the Tarayana tree. According to the Huen Tsang, the tree lies to the southeast of the Bodhi tree enclosure, near the place where the bodhisattva earlier had bathed and eaten Sujata's offering. All these places were marked with stupas at that point of time. It was here that two passing merchants, Trapusha and Bhallika, offered Buddha food for the first time, since his enlightenment. Seeing that he needed a vessel to receive it, each of the four guardians of the directions offered precious bowls. But, He accepted only a stone bowl from each one of them. He pressed the four bowls together to form one and when Fa Hien saw it in Peshawar, four rims could be seen in the one.

After spending forty-nine days in meditation, close to the seat of enlightenment, Buddha left Bodhgaya on foot to meet the five ascetics at Benares, where He was going to turn the first wheel of Dharma. After accomplishing this task, he returned briefly to Uruvela and introduced the three brothers, namely Uruvela, Gaya and Nadi Kasyapa, to his teachings. They, along with a thousand followers of their own, became monks and accompanied Shakyamuni to Rajgir.

Just like Shakyamuni, all other Buddhas who show enlightenment to this world eat a meal of milk rice, sit upon a carpet of grass at Vajrasana, engage in meditation, defeat Mara and his forces and attain supreme enlightenment beneath the Bodhi tree (although the species of tree differs with each Buddha). The present Bodhi tree is a descendant of the original, as the tree was destroyed deliberately on at least three occasions. King Ashoka, initially hostile to Buddhism, ordered it to be cut down and burned on the spot. But, when the tree sprang up anew from the flames, his attitude changed. Deep regretting his destruction, Ashoka lavished so much personal care and attention on the new tree that his queen became jealous and secretly had it destroyed once more. Again Ashoka revived it and built a protective enclosing wall, as had previously been done by King Prasenajit of Koshala, during the Buddha's lifetime. Nagarjuna is said to have built an enclosure later, to protect the tree from being damaged by elephants. With time, this became less effective. So, he placed a statue of Mahakala upon each pillar.

Huen Tsang gave a record of the third destruction of the tree. He reported seeing remains of these walls and states that in the sixth century, a Saivite king of Bengal, Shasanka, destroyed the tree. However, even though he dug deep into its roots, he was unable to unearth it completely. Purvavarma, of Magadha Empire, revived it later. He poured milk of one thousand cows upon it, leading to the growth of tree to a height of ten feet, in a single night.

The origin of the Mahabodhi Temple, which adorns the site today, is shrouded in obscurity. Various legends hold that Ashoka erected a diamond throne shrine, basically a canopy supported by four pillars, over a stone representation of Vajrasana. When General Cunningham was restoring the floor of the temple, he found traces that he took to be the remains of the shrine. It is his opinion that the temple may have been built between the fifth century and seventh century. Others propose that because of its resemblance to similar structures found in Ghandhara and Nalanda as well as the other archaeological evidence, it could have been founded as early as the second century AD. Nagarjuna is reputed to have built the original stupa upon the roof. However, from the records of Huen Tsang, we can be certain that the temple existed before the seventh century.

Records of the builder are not clear. Some legends go that he was a Brahmin, who acted on the advice of Shiva. The statue in the main shrine of the temple, famous for its likeness to Shakyamuni, is said to have been the work of Maitreya in the appearance of a Brahmin artisan.

Monastic tradition seems to have been strong in Bodhgaya. Fa Hien mentions three monasteries and Huen Tsang describes particularly the magnificent Mahabodhi Sangharama, founded in the early fourth century by a king of Ceylon. Both pilgrims make special remark of the strict observance of the Vinaya by the monks residing there. Some accounts tell that the great master Atisha, who later emphasized pure practice of the Vinaya, received ordination in Bodhgaya.

Like everywhere else, neglect and desolation followed the Muslim invasion of northern India. However, extensive repairs and restoration of the temple and environs in the fourteenth century by the Burmese and their further attempts in the early nineteenth century are recorded. In the late sixteenth century, a wandering sanyasi (ascetic) settled in Bodhgaya and founded the establishment now known as the math of the Mahanta. In 1891, Anagarika Dharmapala, inspired by appeals in the press by Sir Edwin Arnold, began the Mahabodhi Society and sought to restore the site as a Buddhist shrine. However, his efforts were hindered by bureaucracy. The British Government of India decided that the temple and its surroundings were the property of the Saivite Mahanta. Nearly sixty years of judicial wrangling followed, after which the Mahabodhi Temple was legally recognized as belonging to Buddhists.

Since the inception of the Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee and the beginning of its active administration in 1953, vast improvements have been made to both the temple and its grounds. Existing structures have been repaired and new stupas are being erected. With the reintroduction of gilded images in the niches of the Mahabodhi Temple, it began to regain some of its lost splendor. The establishment of beautiful temples and monasteries, in the surrounding district, by the people of Tibet, Japan, China, Thailand, Burma, etc has brought to Bodhgaya, the varied traditions of Buddhist practice that have evolved in those lands. By contrast, the headless, mutilated statues in the local museum present a disturbing reminder of past destruction.

Pilgrims abound in Bodhgaya. In the recent years, thousands have had the fortune to listen to the Dharma there. Many Buddhist masters are again traveling to Bodhgaya to turn the wheel of Dharma. For example, over 100,000 devotees attended the Kalachakra empowerment given by His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, in the year 1974. The Tibetan monastery now offers a two-month meditation course every year, for the international Buddhist community. It also provides meditation courses. Occasionally, the teachings are given in the Burmese, Thai, Japanese and other temples.

Sarnath

All the thousand Buddhas of this aeon, after demonstrating the attainment of enlightenment at Vajrasana, proceed to Sarnath to give the first turning of the Wheel of Dharma. Similarly, Shakyamuni also walked from Bodhgaya to Sarnath, to meet the five ascetics who had left him earlier. Coming to the Ganges, he crossed it in one step. It was here that Emperor Ashoka later made Pataliputra his capital city. He entered Benares early morning, made his alms round, bathed, ate his meal and, leaving by the east gate of the city, walked northwards to Rishipatana Mrigadava, the Rishi's Deer Park.

There are many legends about the origin of this name. Fa Hien says that the Rishi was a Pratyeka Buddha who dwelled there. On hearing that the son of King Suddhodana was about to become a supreme Buddha, He entered nirvana. Others mention 500 Pratyeka Buddhas. Heun Tsang mentioned a stupa marking the site of their nirvana.

The name Deer Park is derived from an occasion in one of Shakyamuni's former lives as a bodhisattva. He was leading a herd of deer. After much indiscriminate plundering of the herd by a local king, an agreement was made with him that one of them would be offered to him and only when it is necessary. The turn came of a doe. She was supposed to give birth shortly and wished to delay her turn until then. Bodhisattva offered himself instead of her. This act impressed the king so much that he not only resolved to refrain from killing deer in future, but also gave the park to them.

Here, the five ascetics had resumed their austere practices. When they saw Buddha approaching, they thought of as Gautama, who had forsaken their path. They decided not to welcome him. Yet, as He neared they found themselves involuntarily rising and paying respect. Proclaiming that He was Lord Buddha, Shakyamuni assured them that the goal had been attained. Huen Tsang saw a large, dome-shaped stupa on this spot. Today, it houses a large mound, probably the remains of the stupa, surmounted by a Muslim monument.

During the first night, Buddha was silent; during the second, He made a little conversation and on the third, began the teaching. The spot where all the Buddhas first turn the wheel, thousand thrones appeared. Shakyamuni circumambulated those of the three previous Buddhas and sat upon the fourth. Light radiated from his body, illuminating 3,000 worlds, and the earth trembled. Lord Brahma offered him a 1,000-spoked golden wheel, and Indra Deva and other gods also made offerings, all imploring Buddha to teach.

After inviting gods and all those who wished to hear, He said that He spoke not for the purpose of debate, but in order to help living beings gain control of their minds. Shakyamuni began the first turning of the wheel of Dharma. He taught the middle way, which avoids the extremes of pleasure and austerity; the four noble truths and the eightfold path. Kaundmya was the first of the five ascetics to understand and realize the teaching, while Ashvajit was the last. All of them, eventually, became arhants.

The teachings included in the collection, known as the first turning of the wheel, extended over a period of seven years. Other teachings, such as those on the Vinaya and on the practice of close placement of mindfulness, were given elsewhere, but the wheel was turned twelve times at Sarnath.

Starting from the time of Buddha, monastic tradition flourished for over 1,500 years on the site of the Deer Park. Amongst the many ruins, archaeologists have found traces dating from as early as the third century BC. The existing inscription of Ashoka's pillar, dating from that time, implies that a monastery was already established during Ashoka's reign. Fa Hien speaks of two monasteries with monks in residence. Two centuries later, Heun Tsang described a Mahavihara encompassing eight divisions. It comprised of a great temple with ornate balconies, over one hundred niches containing gilt images in its walls and a statue of Buddha in the teaching posture.

The last monastery constructed before the Muslim invasion, the Dharmachakra-jina Vihara, was the largest of all. Kumaradevi, queen of King Govindachandra, who ruled in Benares from 1114-1154, built the monastery. There is a surviving fragment of stone inscription here, which records that in 1058, a monk presented a gift copy of the Prajna-paramita Sutra to the monastery. This incident provides the evidence of Mahayana activity at that time. The discovery of ancient statues of Heruka and Arya Tara in this area shows that Vajrayana was also practiced there.

Formerly, two great stupas adorned the site. However, today only the Dhamekha remains, assigned by its inscription to the sixth century. The Dharmarajika stupa built by Ashoka was pulled down in the eighteenth century by Jagat Singh, who consigned the casket of relics contained within it to the Ganges River. Huen Tsang described that Ashoka's pillar, which stood in front of the stupa, was so highly polished that it constantly reflected the statue of Buddha.

Benares, the second city to reappear following the last destruction of the world, was also a site of the previous Buddha's manifestations. Kashyapa, the third Buddha of this aeon, built a monastery near Deer Park, where he ordained the Brahmin boy, Jotipala, an earlier incarnation of Shakyamuni. Heun Tsang recorded the existence of stupas and an artificial platform on the site where several previous Buddhas walked and sat in meditation.

Deer Park was also the location of Shakyamuni's deeds in His previous lives. Heun Tsang mentioned a number of stupas near the monastery, commemorating these lives. One of stupas honors the event when bodhisattva offered himself as the deer. There was another observing the event when, as a six-tusked elephant, He offered his tusks to a deceitful hunter. The third stupa memorialized the event where He bodhisattva had been a bird, with Maudgalyayana and Sariputra as a monkey and an elephant.

Another stupa commemorated the occasion when Indra manifested as a hungry old man and asked a fox, an ape and a hare (the Buddha in a former life) for food. The fox brought fish, the ape brought fruit, but the bodhisattva hare, having nothing else to offer, threw himself on a fire and offered his roasted body. Indra was so moved by this act that he took the hare and placed him in the moon. Many people in central Asia still refer to the moon as the hare sign, or worship the hare in the moon.

Today, the actual site of the Buddha's teaching at Sarnath as well as the several ruins in the area stand enclosed in a park. Nearby, a well-planned museum houses a number of unearthed statues, many of them barely damaged, along with several other findings from the site. The museum's entrance is dominated by the famous lion capital from Ashoka's pillar.

Adjacent to the park, is the Mahabodhi Society's Mulaghandaluti Temple, an imposing building containing certain relics of the Buddha. Close by is the Society's sangharama and a library, which houses a rare collection of Buddhist literature. Also in the vicinity, are Burmese, Chinese and Tibetan temples. There is also a Tibetan monastery and the Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies nearby, where two hundred young monks practice and study the many aspects of the Buddha's teaching, to qualify for the degree of an Acharya. There is also a Tibetan printing press, The Pleasure of Elegant Sayings, which, over the last decade, has published more than thirty Tibetan texts of Buddhist treatises, otherwise hard to find. The wheel of Dharma that Shakyamuni first turned at Sarnath continues to revolve even today.

Kushinagar

Kushinagar is the place where Shakyamuni entered Mahaparinirvana. When Lord Buddha reached His eighty-first year, He gave his last major teaching. The subject of the teaching consisted of the thirty-seven wings of enlightenment. After this, He left Vulture's Peak with Ananda to journey north. After sleeping at Nalanda, he crossed the Ganges for the last time at the place where Patna now stands and came to the village of Beluva. Here, the Buddha fell ill, but he suppressed the sickness and continued towards Vaishali. This was a city where Shakyamuni had often stayed in the beautiful parks that had been offered to him. It was also the principal location of the third turning of the wheel of Dharma.

While staying at Vaishali, Buddha thrice mentioned to Ananda a Buddha's ability to remain alive till the end of the aeon. Failing to understand the significance of this, Ananda said nothing and went to meditate nearby. Shakyamuni then rejected prolonging his own life span. Later Ananda learned of about this and implored Buddha to live longer. But he was refused, since his request had come too late.

Coming to Pava, the blacksmith's son, Kunda, offered him a meal, which included meat. It is said that all the Buddhas of this world eat meal, containing meat, on the eve of their passing away. Buddha accepted, but directed that no one else should partake in the food. Later, it was learned that the meat was bad. He told Ananda that the merit created by offering an enlightened one his last meal is equal to that of offering food to him just prior to his enlightenment.

Between Pava and Kushinagar, Buddha rested near a village through which a caravan had just passed. The owner of the caravan, a Malla nobleman, came and talked to the Buddha. Deeply moved by Shakyamuni's teachings, he offered Buddha two pieces of shining gold cloth. However, their luster was completely outshone by Shakyamuni's radiance. It is said that a Buddha's complexion becomes prodigiously brilliant on both the eve of his enlightenment and the eve of his decease.

The next day, when they arrived at the banks of the Hiranyavati River, situated to the south of Kushinagar, Buddha suggested that they should go to the caravan leader's sala grove. There, between two pairs of unusually tall trees, Shakyamuni lay down on his right side in the lion posture with his head to the north. Ananda asked if Rajgir or Sravasti would perhaps be more fitting places for his passing. Buddha replied that in an earlier life as a bodhisattva king this had been Kushavati, His capital, and at that time there had been no other city has been more glorious.

The noblemen of Kushinagar, informed of the Buddha's impending death, came to pay him respect. Among them was Subhadra, a 120-year-old Brahmin, who was much respected, but whom Ananda had turned away three times. However, Buddha called the Brahmin to His side, answered his questions concerning the six erroneous doctrines, and revealed to him the truth of the Buddhist teaching. Subhadra asked for permission to join the Sangha and thus became the last monk to be ordained by Shakyamuni. Subhadra then sat nearby in meditation, swiftly attained arhantship and entered parinirvana shortly before Shakyamuni.

As the third watch of the night approached, Buddha asked His disciples thrice if there were any remaining perplexities concerning the doctrine or the discipline. Receiving silence, He gave them the famous exhortation - "Impermanence is inherent in all things. Work out your own salvation with diligence". Then, passing through the meditative absorptions, Shakyamuni Buddha entered Mahaparinirvana. The earth shook, stars shot from the heavens, the sky in the ten directions burst forth in flames and the air was filled with celestial music. The master's body was washed and robed once more, then wrapped in a thousand shrouds and placed in a casket of precious materials.

For seven days, offerings were made by gods and men, after which, amidst flowers and incense, the casket was carried to the place of cremation in great procession. Some legends say that the Mallas offered their cremation hall for the purpose. A pyre of sweetly scented wood and fragrant oils had been built, but, as had been foretold, it did not burn until Mahakashyapa arrived. After the great disciple eventually arrived, made prostrations and paid his respects, the pyre burst into flames spontaneously.

After the cremation ceremony was complete, the ashes were examined for relics. Only a skull bone, teeth and the inner and outer shrouds remained. The Mallas of Kushinagar first thought themselves most fortunate to have received all the relics of the Buddha's body. However, representatives of the other eight countries that constituted ancient India also came forth to claim them. To avert a conflict, a Brahmin, Dona, suggested an equal, eightfold division of the relics between them. Some records state that in fact Shakyamuni's remains were first divided into three portions, one each for the gods, nagas and men. The portion given to humans was then subdivided into eight. Each of the eight people took their share to their own countries and eight great stupas were built over them. These relics were again subdivided, after Ashoka decided to build 84,000 stupas. Today, they are contained in various stupas scattered across Asia.

Fa Hien found monasteries at Kushinagar. But, when Huen Tsang came here, the site was almost deserted. He did see an Ashoka stupa marking Kunda's house, the site of Buddha's last meal. Commemorating the Mahaparinirvana was a large brick temple containing a recumbent statue of Buddha. Beside this, was a partly ruined Ashoka stupa and a pillar with an inscription describing the holy event. Two more stupas commemorated the former lives of the Buddha at the place. Both Chinese pilgrims mention a stupa where Shakyamuni's protector Vajrapani threw down his scepter in dismay, after Buddha's death. Some distance away was a stupa, at the place of cremation and Ashoka built another, where the relics were divided.

Kushinagar was rediscovered and identified before the end of the last century. Excavations have revealed that a monastic tradition flourished here for a long time. The remains of ten different monasteries, dating from the fourth century to the eleventh century, have been found. Most of these ruins are now enclosed in a park, in the midst of which stands a modern shrine housing a large recumbent figure of the Buddha. This statue was originally made in Mathura and installed at Kushinagar by the monk Haribhadra, during the reign of King Kumaragupta, the alleged founder of Nalanda Monastery. When the statue was discovered, late in the last century, it was broken. However, it has now been restored. Behind this shrine, is a large stupa dating from the Gupta age. The Burmese restored the stupa early in this century. Not far away, is a small temple, built on the Buddha's last resting place in front of the sala grove. It has also been restored. There is a large stupa to the east, now called Ramabhar.

On one side of the park, a former Chinese temple has been reopened as an international meditation center. Next to it stands a large Burmese temple. On the south side of the park, there is a small Tibetan monastery, with Tibetan style stupas beside it.

McLeodganj

Location:	Himachal Pradesh
Founded In:	Mid 19th century
Highlights:	Home of His Holiness, The Dalai Lama

The town of McLeodganj is situated in Himachal Pradesh, India. The town dates back to the mid 19th century when it was established as a British garrison. Mcleodganj was initially the home of the semi-nomadic Gaddi tribe. Today, it serves as the residence of His Holiness, The 14th Dalai Lama - Tenzin Gyatso. However, even now, a considerable number of Gaddi families live in the villages around Mcleod Ganj.

Tourist Attractions in McLeodganj

Residence of the Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama lives on the south edge of town. He came to Macleod Ganj in the year 1960 and since then, he has been living here only. Most of his house has been transformed into government offices, while he occupies only a small portion of the entire complex.

Tsuglagkhang
Tsuglagkhang, the main Buddhist temple of Dharamsala, is situated just opposite the private residence of The Dalai Lama. It houses the images of Shakyamuni, Padmasambhava and Avalokitesvara, all of them sitting in meditation postures.

Gompa Dip Tse-Chok Ling
Gompa Dip Tse-Chok Ling is a small monastery situated at the foot of a sharp road. The main prayer hall of the monastery is adorned with the image of Shakyamuni. The other attractions of the monastery include its beautiful and intricate mandals.

Library of Tibetan Works & Archives
There is also a library of Tibetan works and archives in McLeodganj. It comprises of a rich collection of almost 40 % of the original Tibetan manuscripts. There is also a photographic archive in the library.

How To Reach

By Air
The nearest Airport is at Gaggla, approxiamtely 13 km away from the town.

By Rail
The nearest railway station is that of Pathankot, approxiamtely 85 km away.

By Road
There are regular bus services from Manali, Delhi and Shimla to Dharamsala. 

Pilak

Location:	Approximately 100 km from Agartala, Tripura
Highlights:	Archaeological remains representing Hinduism as well as Buddhism

Pilak is situated in the state of Tripura, surrounded by flourishing green valley speckled with paddy fields. It lies at a distance of approximately 100 km from the capital city of Agartala. The city is sparsely populated and serves as the gateway to the rich bygone era of the state. Pilak is significant as a pilgrim destination in India, from both Hinduism as well as Buddhism point of view. One of the major attractions of the city are the archaeological remains found here, which date back to somewhere around eighth and ninth century AD.

One can find some of the most exquisite Hindu and Buddhist sculptures at Pilak in Tripura. The relics unearthed at Pilak include terracotta plaques, sealing with Stupa, huge stone images of Avolokiteswara and Narasimha, etc. The plaques and the sealing signify survival of heterodox creeds and sects representing both Hinduism as well as Buddhism.

How to reach Pilak

By Air
The nearest airport is that of Agartala.

By Rail
The nearest rail station is at Kumarghat.

By Road
There are regular bus services between Agartala and Julaibari. From Julaibari, you can take an auto to reach Pilak.

Sanchi

Location:	Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh
Highlights:	UNECSO World Heritage Site

Sanchi is situated in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. It lies at a distance of approximately 52 km from the capital city of Bhopal and 10 km from Vidisha. The major attractions of Sanchi include a number of Buddhist stupas, monasteries, temples and pillars. All these structures date back to somewhere between 3rd century BC and 12th century AD. The Mauryan emperor Ashoka founded all the stupas at Sanchi in the honor of Lord Buddha. They have the distinction of being included by UNESCO in its list of World Heritage Sites.

However, the most magnificent as well as the largest one of these is the "Great Stupa of Sanchi". One of the best-preserved stupas, it is also the oldest of the existing structures in India, dating back to the Buddhist period. Encircling the Great Sanchi Stupa is a railing, with four carved gateways, each facing one of the four directions. It is believed that these gateways were carved around 100 AD. All the stupas at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, have a unique feature of not having any images of Lord Buddha in human form.

Instead, Buddha has been illustrated symbolically, in the form of inanimate figures. The figures include wheels (representing his teaching), his footprints, empty throne etc. However, the figure that is most extensively used consists of a lotus flower. In Buddhism, lotus has a special meaning attached to it. It is both a beautiful decoration as well as a religious symbol. Buddhists believe that, like lotus grows from mud to produce a beautiful white blossom, people can also emerge from the mud of materialism into sunlight.

The exquisite carvings on these stupas depict a world where humans and animals live in perfect harmony with each other. The gateways of all the stupas have carvings that portray a number of incidents from the life of the Buddha as well as his previous incarnations as Bodhisattvas described in Jataka tales. Then, you have the male and female tree spirits adorned on the stupa gateways. The female tree spirits symbolize fertility and are used by Buddhists as welcoming figures.

How to Reach Sanchi

By Air
Bhopal airport is the nearest, situated at a distance of approximately 46 km.

By Rail
Nearest railway station is at Vidisha, approximately 10 km from Sanchi.

By Road
Sanchi is well connected to Bhopal, Vidisha and Indore through well-laid road network.