Soulful weekend getaway at Sanchi!

 

Elated by the response I received on my previous blog, I'm back with yet another exciting and short travel story of Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh.

Sanchi is famous for the world heritage site, The Sanchi Stupa, 40 kms from Bhopal. 

So, Sanchi is just an hour's drive from Bhopal and is among my go-to places on weekends. You can visit there with your friends and family for a peaceful time as the surrounding is serene. Moreover, it's an excellent place for planning a picnic as there is ample garden space to sit and have your favourite meal.

Sanchi can also be reached by train as it has its own railway station and excellent connectivity with primary locations in the country.

We left for Sanchi around 2:00 PM and reached there by 3:30 PM.

We visited the whole premises and sat there to witness the sunset.

The Stupas are situated on a hill, so you can see the entire city while you're there, and the city looks beautiful at dusk. 

Interestingly, the Rs. 200 note of Indian Currency has an image of the Stupas; we were so excited to click a picture of the note and the Stupas.

After witnessing the beautiful sunset, we left for our home; the day was really soothing, and we had a great time hovering around the premises.

Few interesting facts:

• Sanchi Stupa was commissioned by Emperor Ashoka and supervised by his Queen Devi and daughter Vidisha. 
• After the emperor accepted Buddhism, he built the first stupa at Sanchi, followed by several more in the later years.
• Sanchi Stupa remained deserted and undiscovered from the 14th century until the 17th century, when General Taylor rediscovered the site.

Things to do:

• Visit the Sanchi Museum
• The Sanchi Museum houses many relics and archaeological findings. This evidence is from Sanchi and neighbouring areas, such as vessels, inscriptions, scriptures, etc., used by the Buddhist monks. Most importantly, it houses the Ashoka Pillar and the remains of the Ashoka Edict.
• Walk around the Four Gateways
• The stupa is flanked by four ornate gateways, each with its own significance. The Eastern Gateway depicts the different stages of Buddha's life, the Southern describes relics of Buddha and Ashoka's role in spreading Buddhism, and others showcase both Ashoka and Buddha's journey from royal to the path of enlightenment.
• Explore the Great Bowl & Buddhist Monasteries
• On the way to Stupa 2, the massive bowl-like structure cut sits among ruins and on a stone dais. The monolithic stone bowl is said to have been carved out of a single rock and used to serve the monks food. The surrounding monasteries are also worth a visit.

Best Time to Visit:

The best time to visit Sanchi is from November to March, as the temperature of this place is relatively high during summer. Visiting Sanchi in the monsoon will also give you a majestic experience, though you may need help travelling around the city.

I sign off for now and will return with another travel story soon! 

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Travel responsibly, and please do not pollute the environment! 

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