Satdhara and Sonari stupas

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The Buddhist stupas (also called topes ) of Satdhara and Sonari in the vicinity of Sanchi are among the little-known buildings of their kind; they are located in the Raisen district in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh .

location

The stupas of Satdhara and Sonari are each approx. 12 km (driving distance) west of Sanchi at an altitude of approx. 450 m above sea level. d. Both sites are only approx. 5 km (as the crow flies) apart and can only be reached from the nearest villages after 2 or 3.5 km of hiking. The closest train and bus station between Bhopal and Vidisha is Salamatpur; motorikshas or taxis go from there. You can also visit the two sites as part of a day tour with rented bicycles from Sanchi.

history

Both Buddhist sites emerged from the 2nd century BC. And were abandoned at the latest in the 12th century AD with the arrival of Islam . After that, they were largely forgotten and only rediscovered by the British Alexander Cunningham in the mid-19th century . Extensive restoration work was not carried out until the last decades of the 20th century.

architecture

Satdhara ( 23 ° 28 ′ 45 ″  N , 77 ° 39 ′ 7 ″  E )

  • The large stupa of Satdhara stands on an approx. 4.50 m high round platform ( jagati ) with a diameter of approx. 32.80 m and is approx. 13.65 m high. At the top of the hemispherical structure there are still remnants of a stone fence ( harmika ) that was once in place . A transformation ( pradakshina ) of the stupa was also possible on a paved, ground-level open space, of which traces were still discovered.
  • The dome of another small stupa is not completed.
  • In the area are the ruins of temples and other buildings with apse .

Sonari (also Sunari ) ( 23 ° 26 ′ 24 ″  N , 77 ° 39 ′ 55 ″  E )

  • The approximately 15 m high stupa of Sonari, the upper part of which has not been reconstructed, also rises above a round platform.
  • There are two more, but much smaller, stupas on the site.

See also

Other archaeologically significant sites in the vicinity of Vidisha or in the Vidisha district are:

literature

  • Alexander Cunningham: The Bhilsa Topes. Buddhist Monuments of Central India. (Revised version of the original published in 1854) Aryan Books, New Delhi 2009, ISBN 978-81-73053-74-0 .
  • Swati Mitra (Ed.): Buddhist Circuit in Central India: Sanchi, Satdhara, Sonari, Andher, Travel Guide. Eicher Goodearth 2010, ISBN 978-93-80262-05-5 , p. 58ff online

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Salamatpur and surroundings - map with altitude information
  2. ↑ Salamatpur and the surrounding area - map with distance data