Sanchi - सांची

Sanchi, about 10 kilometre south-west of Vidisha on the Ventral Railway and 70 kilometres from Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, is one of the most sacred Buddhist shrines in India. The term Stupa (Pali: Thupa) means a heap or mound. In Buddhism, the term is generally applied to monuments over the relics of the Buddha and His disciples and other distinguished persons. The Stupas are of three kinds: Sarika Stupas raised over body relics; Uddesika Stupas built as commemorative monuments; and Paribhogika Stupas erected over the articles, like the bowl, the sanghati etc. used by Lord Buddha. The earliest and the grandest Stupa which survives till today, is the Great Sanchi which was initially built by Asoka.