The Andher Stupas are a group of three
stupa
A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation.
In Buddhism, circumamb ...
located 19 km south-east of
Sanchi,
Raisen District,
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the seco ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Located high enough, they overlook the
Bhojpur Stupas
The Bhojpur Stupas, also called Murelkhurd Stupas or Morel Khurd Stupas by the Archaeological Survey of India to avoid confusion with the village and archaeological site of Bhojpur, Madhya Pradesh about 45 km to the southwest, are a group of a ...
, beyond which are visible the stupas of
Sanchi.
The stupas
Stupa No.1 can be dated to about 150 BCE.
[Huu Phuoc's Buddhist Architecture Th]
p.148
/ref> It is the largest of the three stupas, and it has the remains of a barrier of stone surrounding it (Vedika or "railing").[Buddhist Circuit in Central India: Sanchi, Satdhara, Sonari, Andher, Travel ..]
p.34
/ref>
Stupas No.2 and No.3 revealed inscriptions in Brahmi
Brahmi (; ; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system of ancient South Asia. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such ...
with the same names as the monks whose relics were found in Sanchi Stupa No.2
The Stupa No. 2 at Sanchi, also called Sanchi II, is one of the oldest existing Buddhist stupas in India, and part of the Buddhist complex of Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh. It is of particular interest since it has the earliest known important display ...
and Sonari
Sonari (IPA: ˈsəʊnɑːrɪ) is a district Headquarter, mid-size town and a municipal board in newly announced Charaideo district (by Chief Minister Mr. Tarun Gogoi on 15 August 2015) in the Indian state of Assam.
Tourist Destinations
There ...
(Vachi and Moggaliputa for stupa No.2 and Haritiputa for stupa No.3.
British Museum
and inscriptions.
File:Andher Stupa 3.jpg , Stupa No.3.
File:Andher Stupa 3 reliquary.jpg, Stupa No.3. In a red pottery vessel, a reliquary
British Museum
.
Other stupas nearby
There are altogether four groups of stupas surrounding Sanchi within a radius of about twenty kilometers: Bhojpur and Andher in the south-east, Sonari
Sonari (IPA: ˈsəʊnɑːrɪ) is a district Headquarter, mid-size town and a municipal board in newly announced Charaideo district (by Chief Minister Mr. Tarun Gogoi on 15 August 2015) in the Indian state of Assam.
Tourist Destinations
There ...
in the southwest, and Satdhara
Satdhara is the name of an archaeological site consisting of stupas and viharas, located 9 km west of Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India.
There are in all four groups of stupas surrounding Sanchi within a radius of twenty kilometers: Bhojpur and ...
to the west.[Buddhist Circuit in Central India: Sanchi, Satdhara, Sonari, Andher, Travel ..]
p.31
/ref> Further south, about 100 km away, is Saru Maru
Saru Maru is the archaeological site of an ancient monastic complex and Buddhist caves. The site is located near the village of Pangoraria, Budhani Tehsil, Sehore District, Madhya Pradesh, India.Gupta, The Origins of Indian Art, p.196 The site is ...
.
References
External links
Reliquary of Andher stupa No.2 (British Museum)
Reliquary Vase of the Andher stupa No.2 (British Museum)
Shrine of Andher Stupa No.3 (British Museum)
{{Portal, History, India, Religion
Stupas in India