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Great Stupa

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Title/Caption	Great Stupa
Variant Title/Caption	Stupa 1
Site/Creative Center	Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh (India)
Date of Work	ca. 280 BCE-ca. 50 CE
Description of View	Total of stupa, view north from outside. [General view showing South gateway (torana).]
Notes	The South gateway (torana), from the Andhra-Satavahana period, is the earliest and principal gateway. Sanchi is of historical significance as an early Buddhist, hill-top monastery of well-preserved stupas that prospered around the first century B.C. and subsequent centuries, near the political trade center of Vidisha. The Great Stupa (Stupa 1) is the earliest and largest of fifty-one monuments -- monuments that were numbered and documented by John Marshall in the early 1900s. Although scholars date the present dimensions of the stupa to a building phase in c. 150 BC, there is archaeological evidence that the inner brick core of the stupa was erected during Ashoka's reign (c. 272-231 B.C.). The later addition of four monumental stone gateways (toranas) were intricately carved with reliefs depicting jatakas (narratives of the Buddha's earlier lives) and other scenes related to events of the historical Buddha. Significantly, there is no anthropomorphic representation of the Buddha on the gateways. The form of the stupa is integral with its function in Buddhist devotional rites: the solid, circular mound, which contains relics of the Buddha, is enclosed by an ambulatory path with unadorned stone railings (vedika) that is accessed through the four gateways by which the worshipper circumambulates a prescribed number of times, keeping the monument to his right. An upper ambulatory passageway is also provided for the worshipper. A smaller railing (harmika) at the apex of the dome encloses the pole (yasti), which represents the central axis of the stupa, and in turn the axis of the universe. Three umbrellas (chattras) function as honorific elements by which their symbolism includes protection of the elements below.
Technique/Process	architecture, architectural sculpture, relief sculpture
Materials/Medium	Great Stupa: rubble core with sandstone facing. South gateway: stone.
Dimensions	Great Stupa, Diameter: 36.6 m. Height: 16.46 m. (without umbrella). South gateway, Height: approx. 9 m.
Culture	Indian (South Asian)
Century	Great Stupa: 3rd Century BCE - 1st Century CE. South gateway: 1st Century BCE - 1st Century CE.
Style of Work	Great Stupa: Maurya. South gateway: Andhra
Subject	Architecture, Indian (South Asian) Religious communities Monasteries Ceremonial structures Religious structures Stupas Gate structures Toranas
Publisher	Saskia Ltd. Cultural Documentation
Publisher.Location	Freeport, Maine (United States)
Credit Line	(C) Dr. Ronald V. Wiedenhoeft
Reference Number	Saskia Jia-2117
Collection Title	Architecture (Art and Art History Department images)
Collection Information	Collection administered by Visual Resources manager, Architecture Library (402) 472-1193
Copyright Information	http://contentdm.unl.edu:2000/ah_copyright.html

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