Illustration
The oldest stupa in India, and possibly in the world, construction of the Great Stupa at Sanchi was decreed and overseen by Ashoka the Great (268-232 BCE). It stands 54 feet (17 meters) high and 120 feet (37 meters) wide with a spire (yashti) at the top of the dome (known as the anda) surrounded by a railing (harmika). The stupa is enclosed by a wall with four gates (toranas) corresponding to the cardinal points and four central events in the Buddha’s life (birth, enlightenment, first sermon, death/nirvana).
Related Images
Sanchi Stupa
The Great Stupa at Sanchi
Seven Kings Laying Siege to Kushinagara
Dragon of the Ishtar Gate
Mauryan and Pre-Mauryan soldiers from the Sanchi Stupa
Detail of the Ishtar Gate
Cite This Work
APA Style
Kirkby, A. (2020, September 03). Sanchi Stupa Gate. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/12651/sanchi-stupa-gate/
Chicago Style
Kirkby, Andrea. "Sanchi Stupa Gate." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified September 03, 2020. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/12651/sanchi-stupa-gate/.
MLA Style
Kirkby, Andrea. "Sanchi Stupa Gate." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 03 Sep 2020. Web. 19 Apr 2024.
