Singh_Blog
★★★★4.0Wrote on 17 Apr 2021
Sanchi Stupa No. 3 With It's own precious presentation and religious importance
Stupa 3 is the very first monument when entrance in the Sanchi complex. size of Stupa 2 is same as Stupa 3. Stupa 3 architectural elements more closely match to Stupa 1. The hemispherical dome is crowned, as a mark of its special religious significance, with an umbrella of polished stone.. It has only one gateway and is thought to have been constructed soon after the completion of the main stupa. Ticket- Applicable , compound ticket of all monuments Must Have- Proper easy clothing , shoes, Hat / umbrella , water Bottle. Visit - Early morning or just opening time is best. It is believed the main elements of Stupa 3 were built in the 2nd century B.C. shortly after the reconstruction of Stupa 1. From inscriptions we know that the stairway balustrades for both Stupa 1 and Stupa 3 were gifted by the same individual, with the ground balustrade added about a century later. In the early part of the 1st century A.D. the carved gateway was erected, making it the last of the great gateways to be built at Sanchi At slightly over 5 meter in height, the gateway architecture is very similar to that of the gateways of Stupa 1, although the workmanship is considered to be inferior. That said, it is still an absolutely stunning piece of art and worthy of a closer look. When Alexander Cunningham excavated Stupa 3 he uncovered the relics of the two foremost disciples of Buddha; Sariputra and Maudgalyayana. Sealing the relic chamber at the centre of the stupa dome was a large stone slab, below that Cunningham found two stone boxes with their lids inscribed with the names of the disciples. Sariputra’s relic box contained a relic casket inside which were fragments of bone and seven beads made from pearl, garnet, lapis lazuli, crystal and amethyst. Maudgalyayana casket, also housed within a relic box, contained just two small fragments of bone. Both casket lids were inscribed with the initials of their respective occupants Sanchi Stupa 3 is of course slightly overshadowed visually by its close and much larger neighbour, Stupa 1. However, in the context of the overall history of Sanchi and Buddhism it is no less important
