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Secondary sourceArtifact3rd century BCE onward

Sanchi Stupa

Commissioned by Ashoka · 3rd century BCE onward

A Buddhist monument built over relics of the Buddha, whose carved gateways show his life through symbols rather than his image.

This monument, built over relics of the Buddha, narrates his life through symbols rather than direct images.

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Great Stupa at Sanchi: a large brick dome with a stone railing and carved gateway, the west torana, with a stone pillar and tree at left, under a clear sky.
West torana, Stupa 1, Sanchi, India.

About this source

What it is

Sanchi is a Buddhist complex in Madhya Pradesh, India, centred on the Great Stupa, originally built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE over relics of the Buddha. Later, in the 1st century BCE, carved gateways and a railing were added around the structure. The site remained in use for centuries afterward.

Why it matters

Sanchi shows how the Buddha's life and teaching were represented before images of him as a person became common: he appears instead as symbols like a tree, a wheel, footprints, or an empty throne. Built and expanded under Ashoka and later rulers, the site reveals how later generations honoured and retold the Buddha's story in stone.

Look closer

  • Why might early Buddhist art avoid showing the Buddha's face or body directly?
  • What do the chosen symbols (a tree, a wheel, footprints) suggest about how the Buddha was remembered?
  • How does a monument built centuries after someone's life shape the story people tell about them?

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