The Bhojpur Stupas, also called Murelkhurd Stupas or Morel Khurd Stupas by the
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexande ...
to avoid confusion with the village and archaeological site of
Bhojpur, Madhya Pradesh
Bhojpur is a town of historical and religious importance in Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh, India.
Geography and hydrology
Bhojpur is situated on the Betwā River, 32 km from Bhopal, the state capital of Madhya Pradesh. The site is l ...
about 45 km to the southwest, are a group of about thirty
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 ...
s located southeast of
Sanchi
Sanchi is a Buddhist complex, famous for its Great Stupa, on a hilltop at Sanchi Town in Raisen District of the States and territories of India, State of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located, about 23 kilometres from Raisen, Raisen town, dist ...
, about at about 11 km.
[Buddhist Circuit in Central India: Sanchi, Satdhara, Sonari, Andher, Travel ..]
p.31
/ref>
There are in all four groups of stupas surrounding Sanchi within a radius of twenty kilometers: Bhojpur and Andher Stupas
The Andher Stupas are a group of three stupa located 19 km south-east of Sanchi, Raisen District, Madhya Pradesh, India. Located high enough, they overlook the Bhojpur Stupas, beyond which are visible the stupas of Sanchi.
The stupas
Stupa ...
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
The ...
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.[ Further south, about 100 km, 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 ...
.
All these stupas were searched in the 19th century by Major Cunningham
Major General Sir Alexander Cunningham (23 January 1814 – 28 November 1893) was a British Army engineer with the Bengal Engineer Group who later took an interest in the history and archaeology of India. In 1861, he was appointed to the newly ...
, who in most cases carried the reliquaries to England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. One of the reliquaries is made of rock crystal and comes in the form of a Buddhist stupa. Rock crystal
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...
, a material of extreme purity, was often used to make containers for sacred relics. This reliquary was found the room of relics of Stupa 2 during the excavations in 1851 by Alexander Cunningham and FC Maisey.[Notice of the Victoria and Albert Museum ]
The center of the stupas was hollow to accommodate small relics (present when they were excavated, but now lost), and the stupa would have been wearing an umbrella, symbol of high rank. These stupas probably date from the 1st century BCE.rock crystal
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical form ...
(H: 11 cm, W: 8 cm, Victoria and Albert Museum).
See also
Reliquary of Stupa No. 4 (British Museum)
Reliquary of Stupa No. 4 (British Museum)
Reliquary of Stupa # 9 (British Museum)
References
{{Reflist
Stupas in India