Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s4.t2.49

v2.c11.s4.t2.49

Sanchi, also known traditionally as Kakanaya, Kakanava, Kakanadabota and Bota-Sriparvata, is a small city near Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. It is famous for its repository of remarkable remains of Buddhist art and architecture dating back from 3ʳᵈ century BCE till 12ᵗʰ century CE, which covered the period starting from the Mauryan dynasty and extending up to Sunga, Satvahana, Kushan, Gupta dynasties and later kingdoms. The famous site consists of stupas, monasteries, temples, and a monolithic Asokan pillar crowned with four lion heads. It contains one of the best treasures of the ancient Indian sculptures. Lying neglected and unidentified for almost 600 years after it flourished for 1,500 years, it was rediscovered by a British officer General Taylor in 1818 and was restored by John Marshall of the Archaeological Survey of India between 1912-1919. Declared a UNESCO heritage site in 1989, the pride