Architecture of India  
Communion With the Soul:
The Rise of Buddhism – 2

The Symbolism of Sanchi

The Sanchi Stupa basically is a dome, surmounted by a finial or 'harmika', with a circumambulatory path around it, delineated by a railing or 'vedika'. As mentioned earlier, the spherical shape of the Stupa was a structural culmination of rubble masonry piled up, and also had metaphysical connotations with the apparent shape of the universe. The harmika on top represented the Bodhi Tree under which the Buddha first gained enlightenment. And the path around provided a passage for monks who could circle the Stupa, chanting endlessly. 

Minor deities of the Great Stupa 

A structure as large as Sanchi Stupa attracted large numbers of monks for penance and meditation. In addition, there were a large number of visitors who made a pilgrimage to this, the most holy site of the Buddhists. A natural consequence was the gradual development of a large complex of buildings around the Stupa. These were typified by the vihara and the chaitya. 

The vihara evolved from the humble cave dwellings of the monks. In plan, it essentially consisted of a large number of cubicles around a large central courtyard. In stark contrast to the Stupa, the viharas were models of austerity, with drab exteriors and bare interiors. This is actually not surprising - monks are not supposed to enjoy the pleasures and comforts of urban life! 

The vihara was basically an extension of the urban dwelling with its open-to-sky courtyard and rooms around. The courtyard served as a community space, while the cells provided sufficient privacy for effective meditation. 

It has been observed (Satish Grover, 1980) that the chaitya hall evolved due to the fact that the Sanchi Stupa was an outdoor structure - not permitting use in inclement weather. Hence the evolution of the chaitya as a sort of indoor Stupa. However, this reason seems to be a trifle strange - totally against the ethos of the monks of a life of penance and hardship. The author surmises that the chaitya served the purpose of a 'minor deity', so often found in large Hindu temples, where niches hold images of 'lesser' gods. The Buddhist monks, still a part of predominantly Hindu society, expressed this subconscious desire by building a number of chaitya halls around the main Stupa. 

An examination of the chaitya hall architecture reveals the same determinants as in Vedic village architecture - the barrel vaulted roof, the horseshoe-shaped entrance, railings echoing the palisade walls outside Aryan villages. It was almost as if the craftsman, unfamiliar with the structural properties of stone, reverted to tried and tested forms with which he was comfortable - never mind that reproducing them in stone instead of wood involved far greater effort. This is a recurring feature throughout the history of Indian architecture - the lead time required before a new material is finally put to the best use possible, given its natural properties. 

Conclusion

Although Buddhism finally waned in the land of its birth, yet it was destined to spread throughout Asia on the basis of the simplicity of its message and the humaneness of its teachings. However, the fertile land of the Gangetic plain was its progenitor. The formal and metaphysical principles evolved at Sanchi in India inspired countless generations of Buddhist architecture throughout South-East Asia. Sanchi, Nalanda, and Bodh Gaya are today world-famous, with countless Buddhists the world over making the pilgrimage to India to see the land where the Buddha gave his first sermon and set rolling the Dharma Chakra, or the Wheel of Truth.       

–  Ashish Nangia
January 18, 2001

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