A great centre of Buddhist art

By R.C. Kathpal

SANCHI is one of the centres of great Buddhist art along with Ajanta, Ellora, Amaravati, Karla, Bhaja, Nalanda etc. The other sites of religions significance are Sarnath, Bodh Gaya and Baghelkand. They all represent a wealth of magnificient art in the form of carvings, paintings, sculptures and a unique form of architecture. Hordes of tourists from India and broad visit these sites throughout the year.

Sanchi is a small village of Vidisha district in Madhya Pradesh. It can be approached by road from Bhopal, the capital of the state, which is 67 km away. It is located on the main train route (Delhi-Bhopal and south-bound). The hillock of ruins of Sanchi is visible from the train, but only a very few trains stop here. Alternatively, Sanchi can be approached by getting down at Vidisha, at a distance of 8 km.

The celebrated monuments and the remnants of the ruins of Sanchi are located atop a small hillock, approachable on foot from the rail or bus station. The remnants of many temples, stupas and monasteries belonging to the Buddhist religion of third century BC to the 12th century AD are scattered at Sanchi, Vidisha and nearby towns. The most interesting and significant monuments are the Great Stupa and its surrounding gateways.

From the 13th century onward, Sanchi became deserted and desolate. Though Vidisha was attacked many times by Muslim invaders including Aurangzeb, Sanchi monuments were left unscathed. As late as 1818, General Taylor rediscovered the Sanchi stupas and other edifices in good state of preservation. The discovery attracted several greedy treasure-seekers and indiscreet archaeologists, and Sanchi became hunting around for possible hidden treasures and riches. Irreparable harm was caused by British civil servants and political agents from 1822 to 1851 through hasty and inept digging of stupas. It is only during 1912-1919 that extensive repair was carried out by Sir John Marshall of the Archaeological Survey of India. Several edifices were excavated buried deep under the debris and covered by vegetation. The intervening period of 60 years lead to further plunder and pillage by local villagers and encroaching vegetation. For the protection of loose and scattered artefacts and antiquities, a small museum was also built at site, which was later enlarged and rebuilt at the present site.

Sanchi is in no way connected with Lord Buddha, nor is there any mention in the scriptures. Yet it is a renowned centre of Buddhist religion. Mauryan Emperor Ashoka started the construction and created a unrivalled group of monuments. As history goes, Ashoka passed through Vidisa (now Vidisha) on way to Ujjaini (now Ujjain) and fell in love with the daughter of a merchant banker and married her. Devi, his wife, initiated Ashoka to the tenets of Buddhism. It is from Sanchi that the emperor sent his son Mahendra to Ceylon to spread the religion and its message of love, peace, truth and non-violence. In the Sri-Lankan chronicle on Buddhism, Sanchi is referred as Chetiyagiri.

Buddhism, under the zealous patronage of Ashoka, flourished far and wide. He also erected hundreds of highly developed monuments throughout his domain.

The Great Stupa, the main edifice at Sanchi, is a hemispherical mound of 454 feet circumference, truncated at the top. Stupas in those days were erected as funeral mound and were used to enshrine holy relics or a mark of specially sacred spot. The original size of the Great Stupa was half the size of the present one and was made of baked bricks and mortar, which was later encased in stone to its present size. Through a flight of stairs, another pathway is approached, used for prayers. The stupa is devoid of any relief work, carving or inscription.

The main attractions of the Sanchi monuments are the Gateways, which are quite elaborate and richly carved and are in excellent state of preservation in spite of their age of 2000 years. All the gateways are similar in their basic design and were donated by pious or rich donors, as the inscriptions on them indicate. Each gateway is composed of two square pillars, surmounted by the capitals. The open space between them is occupied by a variety of figures. The capitals are adored by elephants, lions or standing dwarfs. Crowning and dominating at the top are the emblems of Buddhism, the Dharam Chakra (wheel of law), which in turn are flanked by Yakshas, the guardian or lion. There are numerous wheels with spokes. The gateways are adored by Trident, symbolising the trinity of Buddhism — the Buddha, the Dharama (Law), and the Sangha (religious order). The entire surface of the gateway is covered with Jataka tales — the scenes of Buddha’s previous life and important events of the religion.

The motifs, decorative designs, objects and figures are symbolic or just simple representations, which adore the gates. A variety of birds and animals, arranged in pairs, is depicted. The winged lion is traceable to the western Asiatic origin. Floral designs are quite rich and realistic and based on accurate observations of nature, rarely found elsewhere. The most common are honeysuckle, lotus, pipal, jamun and mango, having religious significance and used in sacred rites. Yaksha and Yakshis are well proportioned and very charming. Yakshi figure is the best known figure in bob cut hair. According to a scholar "the Yakshinis and Yakshikas of Sanchi are the proud possession of Indian art. They are the best sculptural specimen of female form and standard of feminine beauty. The figures are full of suggestiveness of soft human flesh and are provocative."

On the east, south and west side of the Great Stupa, are ruins of numerous temples, monasteries and pillars dating the same period as other edifices. Innumerable fragments of thelong shafts of pillars were excavated from the debris. The famous pillar of Emperor Ashoka is a remarkable piece of perfection. It is a 42-feet high, highly polished, round, monolithic shaft with tall-shaped capital and a crown of a four faced lion, set back to back. The lion figure, depicting swelling veins, strong claws and muscles and luxurious mane, is excellent work of Perso-Greek sculptors with generations of experience.

The Sanchi monuments and the Sanchi museum under the charge of the Archaeological Survey of India and are painstakingly being looked after in a verdant setting.