SANCHI STHUPA

On 25 Sept. 2010 saturday, I took off to Nagpur by 2791 Patna express from secunderabad.  It started at 10 AM and reached Nagpur by 7:30 PM.  Then, boarded chattisgarh express 8237 at 10 PM to Bhopal.  Reached Bhopal nextday Sunday morning by 7 AM.

Fromm Bhopal,  Bhopal- Bilaspur express (train No. 8235) started at 8 AM.  The train is like Fast Passengeer  and after two stations it stopped at Sanchi a small town.  I took tea from  roadside tea  y walk.   He gave me information that it iws cool and I can easily go up by the stair case within 20 to 30 minutes by walk.  I really enjoyed the walk.  I took some pictures as I climbed up the small hill of sanchi.  The Simhalese Budda temple is outside the compound wall of the protected area.  I purchased a few book lke Sanchi by Geological survey of India stall.  The stall fellow has offered me some advise to see the Udayagiri caves which are just 8 kms away from the spot.  He also arranged his own man auto rikshaw.  I first went up the hill to see the monuments, the Stupa.  It may just be about 100 acres or less so it didnot take much time to see the entire area.  The stupa no. built by emperor Ashoka is great.  The stupa didnot have any openings it is a closed Samadhi with the astika (bone relics) of Gauthama Buddha.  What all we can see is the sculpture on the four toranas.  The south torana has two pillars with the four lions back to back.  Also there is a broken pillar separately but, broken to half.  The crown of this pillar is later seen in the museum very near to the railway station.  That has the four lions and on top of the heads of the lions a wheel.  In this monument there is no wheel underneath the foot of the lions.  I understand the Ashoka Pillar at the Saranath stupa has that type of structure which is printed on our currency notes.

The bone relics of Gautham Buddha's followers is found in Stpa no. 3.  I has only one Torana (gateway) on the south side.  The monasteries and the temples are all excavated type and nothing much to see just like the Amaravathi (Guntur District)  site.  I bought a stupa model with Buddha in it for Rs.150 fromthe shop inside the area.  Then, I came out at 11AM.    I got down from train at 9 AM and I could reach the hill by walk before 10 AM.  Now at 11AM as I have told him the auto rikshaw has come.  I told him that the vehicle shold be with me upto 3 PM and the Archeological survey shop fellow has told the rikshaw wala to drop me either at Vidisha or at Sanchi railway station as per my instruction.  Also, he has told me that he will take to 2 other places