Sanchi is a tiny village which lies in the Raisen district in Madhya Pradesh. The place is well-known for its monuments and Buddhist stupas. Sanchi is positioned at the footsteps of a mound and is renowned for a number of Buddhist monuments. Sanchi tourism offers various stupas, holy shrines, monasteries and pillars that are in this place from the third century BC to the twelfth century AD. The monuments of Sanchi have carvings that depict the culture and Buddhist myths of the place.
The Great Stupa No.1- 36.5mts in diameter and 16.4 mts high it is one of the oldest stone structures in India. With a massive hemispherical dome, the stupa stands majestically. The paved procession path around it has become smooth by centuries of pilgrim's visit. Built originally as an earthen stupa by the Emperor Ashoka, it was rebuilt in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC.
The last of the additions to this remarkable stupa are the elaborate and richly carved four gateways or Toranas. The first of the four gateways to be erected was the one at the Southern Entrance, followed, in chronological order by the Northern, the Eastern and the Western Gateways.
