My first detailed post from my trip to India is reserved for my favourite outing… a visit to Sanchi, a World Heritage Site. The only other Heritage sites I had been to are ones in London and our very own Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua.

The drive to Sanchi from Bhopal took us over an hour and took us deep into the urban parts of Madhya Pradesh state. After sitting in the bus for what felt like an eternity, we arrived at one of the most beautiful sites I have ever seen.

The Buddhist Stupa’s at Sanchi are one of a kind monuments that held me captive when I looked at them for the first time.

I felt a real sense of awe at the architecture and grounds and felt a quiet reverence settle in my spirit. Long before I was born, before the idea of me was even conceived, men came together and laboured to erect these structures as an ultimate sign of devotion to their deity.

I was very pleased with myself for following my gut instinct to style a Kurti Kurta set to wear on the trip to Sanchi.

I took my time away from my group walking around the ruins and exploring the grounds. I touched the walls of the Great Stupa and closed my eyes to ground myself in the moment. I was truly grateful for the ability to experience this place and this moment.

According to the Wikipedia write up:

The Great Stupa at Sanchi is one of the oldest stone structures in India, and an important monument of Indian Architecture. It was originally commissioned by the Mauryan 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 symbolising high rank, which was intended to honour and shelter the relics.

Sanchi Stupa is depicted on the reverse side of the Indian currency note of ₹200 to signify its importance to Indian cultural heritage.

Today, around fifty monuments remain on the hill of Sanchi, including three main stupas and several temples. The monuments have been listed among other famous monuments in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1989.

The Gateway of the Great Stupa at Sanchi

The Monuments at Sanchi are truly enduring. They have outlasted the lifetime of the person who conceptualised them remain standing after the ravages of British Colonisation and greedy treasure hunters.

I am obsessed with historical architecture because they provide us with an opportunity to travel to the past and connect with a time that we would never experience for ourselves. Monuments like Sanchi hold so much character and presence and it is humbling to acknowledge that long before I was born and long after I am gone, Sanchi will remain even when my memory does not.