Sanchi
Sanchi is has site bouddhic. Rare It is in India, although this country is the fatherland of Buddhism. In the centuries which followed the Buddha, this religion knew has spectacular expansion grace, in particular, with the Ashoka emperor, the 3rd century before our will era, which had converted with Buddhism and had made of it the religion of State of its immense empire. In fact, Buddhism thrived until worms the end of the thousand-year-old first. Drank the Islam, new come one the political scene and religious from the country, had, by massive destruction, to curry has fatal blow to Indian Buddhism. Besides this evolution arranged the Hindu monks who had never accepted the Buddhist doctrines, that they regarded have heretic compared to the authority of Veda the Crowned Writings, bases of the hindouism.
The centers of training of the monks of Buddhism, like Nalanda, concentrated in Bihar and the neighbouring areas (the ancient worsens of Maghada where the Buddha was born, in the town of Lumbini - maintaining in Népalais territory, not far from the to border), disappeared with the Moslem attacks. The removal of trained monks was to quickly involve the decline of Buddhism in the company.
The sites before prestigious were with the abandonment. The stones of the buildings were plundered by people to build other masonries around, according to has traditional technical of Re-employment of materials available...
Contrary to much of other sites bouddhic, does of them those located more At the North-East, Sanchi never knew the visit of the Buddha. It is however in this place that monasteries and stupa were built whose negro spiritual presence and the influence perdurèrent approximately thirteen centuries before disappearing forever. It is indeed the Ashoka emperor, already quoted, who made build one this hill, the first stupa. One however agrees to recognize that the stupa 1 date of the dynasty Shunga (2nd century before our will era) and that it covered the monument set up by Ashoka.
It is only At the 19th century that British soldiers rediscovered this site, have they did it for good of other old vestiges in all India. Have always also, to their first interventions were more to destroy to restore and it was necessary to await the beginning of the 20th century so that one thinks of the patrimonial been worth inouie of these ruins.
Sanchi is year insulated hill, closed to has small village, to butt fifty km only of Bhopal, the capital of the State of Madhya Pradesh, goal one would believe oneself in thousand places of all, in A places resting, peaceful, have yew the spirit of the Buddha still impregnated all things of Its Happiness. Alive The forces of Buddhism feels in Bodhgaya (Bihar), because of the thousands of pilgrims go there to length years. Here, nothing similar: it is the subtlety of the Spirit residing in these places which one feels.
The monuments the main thing, easy to discover and visit are the stupa 1, the head of work, the stupa 2, the stupa 3, temples 17 and 18 and monastery 45. It is necessary to take its time to become aware of the harmony of the forms, to discover the details of the innumerable decorations engraved one the superb stones ochre beige of the torana gold the balustrades.
Rather than of arid descriptions of the scenes illustrating the stones of the monuments, we will invites you to has photographic walk with accompanying notes. Before beginning, it is not useless to remind the following indications:
Udayagiri
One will not leave Sanchi, in splashes of the pleasure which one would cuts to remain there more, without visiting astonishing it rupestral site by Udayagiri, which is only with one butt fifteen km.
One the road, little after the crossing dusty Vidisha village, year ancient city which does not seem to cuts preserved broad thing of its past, one will make has shorts hook to see the column of Héliodore, going back to 90 before JC. It is not At all butt the one of these columns of Ashoka have one sees some elsewhere, goal of has column commemorative of the visit of year ambassador of Taxila, kingdom of Gandhara (Pakistan/Afghanistan). Formerly, has statue of Garuda surmounted this column, recalling the conversion of Heliodore to the hindouism.
The cellars of Udayagiri were excavated side of has rock'n'roll hill butt the 5th century, i.e. At the time of the Gupta kingdom. They were used for the worships Jains and Hindu. The Jains cellars are located almost in signal of the hill, above the carpark. With good staircase carries out to it. Two statues of Tirthankara remain.
In foot of hill, has little further, one arrive At the Hindu cellars. Most famous is cellar 5, remarkable by has gigantic representation of Varâha, the incarnation of Vishnu in the shape of has wild boar going up one its paring-iron the beautiful goddess Ground that has dreadful demon had involved At the ocean floor. With little higher, one the left, undermines 13 keeps has beautiful representation of ugly Vishnu down one the boxing rings of the Shesha Snake between two Creations of the World. Other cellars are quickly visited: the 4 shelters interesting Lingam de Shiva showing the face of God, the 6 A rustic relief of Ganesh with two arms only, have it is the box of the old images of this God.
Udayapur
It is necessary to Be justified and informed to go to Udayapur, At some three hours in the north of Sanchi by has painful road (gold by train via Basoda then drunk). Drank there, what has shock! The reward of has splendid temple, in excellent state, planted in year unexpected way since the 12 2nd century in the medium of has village. One comes there by far in pilgrimage, with this temple of Nilakanteshvar (= Udayeshwar), another name to designate the Shiva Lord whom one venerates here.
The temple is seen by far and one approaches some by has narrow and sloping lane that has jeep only edge climb. Monumental The door of entry is. Crossing, one emerge in immense year paved broad yard of sandstone irregular punts of has violine red. This runs is pregnant of has balustrade to the elements decorated with geometrical reasons In the short medium of the, draws up itself, immense and imposing, with its will will shikhara slim, the temple of red sandstone dark, him too.
The architectural elements are underlined by the statues of divinities placed in niches staged on several levels.
The low part of will shikhara adopts a spangled plan with projecting and returning so tight that one can only foresee the statues located in returning.
It appears that it is one of most beautiful will shikhara (curvilinear turn of the temples) of India of north. In any case, a fort beautiful excursion which, combined with Gyraspur (see further), request the day.
Gyraspur
Located between Vidisha and Sagar on a poor road, the village of Sagar is characterized, for the visitor amateur of old stones, by two temples: the temple of Mala Devi, on the hill, with the roofs invaded by troops of monkeys, and the temple of Bajramath at the exit of the village.
The first, in spite of its name, dealt with the Jain worship: one sees a statue of Tirthankara by the closed door. The temple is drawn up with cliffside, in a beautiful site dominating the valley. The red sandstone of construction blackened with the wire of the time, as calcined by the sun which here, slap hard. One will notice especially the architrecturaux reasons for the external blind windows, known as windows chaitya.
The second temple, at the exit of the village towards Vidisha, is the temple of Bajramath (10 2nd century). It was restored correctly a few years ago. It is a Hindu temple with triple cella, which was reconverted with the Jain worship.
In the village, one will note a small enclosure where some statues are gathered (see a lintel of Planets and large Ganesh upright of color dew...).