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This stupa is in Sarnath, India, site of the Buddha’s first sermon.

GOING UP ?

As the basic burial mound increased in size it was structurally necessary to surround the base with a circle of stones to contain the edge. The next development, both for aethestic reasons and to extend the life of the stupa – and so the memory of the deceased – was encasing the surface of the mound in either brick or stone. The use of more substantial materials also allowed the inclusion of traditional artistic decoration. The various increases in size added not only to the status of the deceased but to the merit of the sponsor as well. In thinking how to make the stupa physically bigger designers would also have been thinking of ways to make it more pleasing to the eye. As a result of this different styles evolved in each country relative to local art and craft skills and styles. The process would probably have been a relatively slow one as the stupa was early established as a traditional form and nothing too radical would have been introduced.

SANCHI

The complex of Buddhist monuments on top of the hill at Sanchi in central India is unique. As well as having one of the best preserved Indian stupas, the full range of Buddhist art and architecture from the third century BC to the twelth AD can be studied here. Although there are earlier remains the main foundation was thought to have been laid by King Asoka (c. 273 – 236 BC) with the building of the main stupa and the errection of one of his famous pillars.


The hill-top outline showing the dense
arrangement of buildings.

The plateau on the hill is surrounded by a stone wall about 400 x 200 metres, built in the eleventh century. Within the wall are at least fifty monuments – stupas, temples, pillars, monasteries, images and other miscellaneous buildings.

 


The main stupa as it was found in the mid-nineteenth century.

The main Sanchi stupa, above, is now 37m x 17m high. It encases an earlier half-size mound of uncertain origin. The current stupa is usually attributed to King Asoka and is an excellent example of extended development – beginning as a simple mound and ending two centuries later as an ornate work of art. The outside railings and four gates (left picture) are particularly fine examples of Indian craftsmanship.