Top 20 Buddhist Stupas in India

Stupa is a hemispherical structure containing Buddhist relics and place of meditation used by Buddhists monks. In the period between the Mauryas and the Guptas the older stupas were greatly enlarged and beautified. Of these three are noteworthy—those at Bharhut and Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh, and at Amaravati in the lower Krishna valley.

The Great Stupa at Sanchi (Video)

The ‘Great Stupa’ at Sanchi is the oldest stone structure in India and was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE. Its nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha. It was crowned by the chatra, a parasol-like structure symbolizing high rank, which… Continue reading The Great Stupa at Sanchi (Video)

Scientists discover 121 possible sites for Ashoka rock edicts

Brahmi script on Ashoka Pillar. img source

A team of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles aided by a computer model, has identified 121 possible sites for Ashoka rock edicts, many of which are in the Deccan Plateau. Currently, 39 Ashokan edicts are known. There are pillar edicts and rock edicts and these edicts are located at sites ranging from… Continue reading Scientists discover 121 possible sites for Ashoka rock edicts