It began with a glimpse. A glimpse of a structure on a distant hill. A structure that looked like a stupa; a silent presence in a place celebrated for ancient Hindu and Jain shrines. This was Gyaraspur, and having explored the Maladevi, Bajramath and Athkhamba temples, as well as the Hindola Toranas, I had officially “done” the place.
Then a glance around revealed the unmistakable shape of a stupa. But there wasn’t supposed to be a stupa here. The stupas were at Sanchi, my next destination on this long road trip, an hour to the west. But this was Madhya Pradesh, and here, heritage explorers learn to keep their eyes peeled and look beyond official lists.
A short drive and a climb brought me to it. Standing on the ledge of a hill and separated from the rest of Gyaraspur’s heritage by a national highway, the Dhaikinath Stupa dates to the 8th–10th centuries. Built by a Malwa ruler named Rudra, it originally housed sculptures of the Bodhisattvas Padmapani and Vajrapani in niches. The sculptures are long gone, hopefully in the safe custody of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and not stolen. The niches are now filled in, and while the stupa lies bare, getting up close to this unique design nudged the explorer in me towards the next pit stop.
The Great Hill
Sanchi came as a stark contrast to Dhaikinath. The Sanchi Hill was crowded with both historic monuments and visitors. Pilgrims from Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka came with prayers on their lips. As they meditated under trees or circumambulated around stupas, a gentle hum filled the air. Then came tourists, gazing in awe at the sculpted detailing, while trying to keep distracted children in line.
Amidst all this, Sanchi retained a timelessness. Beginning in the Mauryan period under Ashoka—who served as governor of Ujjain before becoming emperor—the hill saw stupas, temples, inscriptions, and gateways added over the centuries, with the Shungas, Shatavahanas, and Guptas all contributing. After nearly 1,400 years as a sacred site, it fell into obscurity and remained hidden for seven centuries, until a British officer rediscovered it amidst dense vegetation. Today, after painstaking restoration, Sanchi’s monuments create the impression that the hill itself is a shrine, watching over and blessing the surrounding countryside.
At the Great Stupa, Sanchi’s focal point, visitors encounter Buddhist iconography in its earliest and perhaps finest form. The magnificent toranas (gateways) narrate Jataka tales. During this time, artisans refrained from depicting the Buddha in human form, instead they used symbols to represent major events of his life. The Bodhi tree signifies enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, the Dharmachakra symbolises his first sermon at Sarnath, and the empty throne conveys his transcendental presence—emphasising the spiritual rather than the physical. These abstract depictions reflect the Buddhist philosophy of non-attachment and reinforce the idea that enlightenment transcends material form.
Beyond The Hub
Sanchi is not an isolated site. Thirteen kilometres south, on a hill spur as isolated as Dhaikinath, lies Sonari. Feeling a little like Alexander Cunningham of the ASI when he came here in the 1850s, I was struck by the sight of four stupas arranged in a row. In the second of these, Cunningham discovered three miniature reliquaries—two in soapstone and one in rock crystal. Within one were sacred relics in the form of ash, bone and a piece of wood. It is remarkable to imagine that these may have belonged to descendants of the Buddha’s companions.
Sixteen kilometres west of Sanchi, on the banks of the Halali River, stands Satdhara. Here, far from the crowds that characterise Sanchi today or the isolation that envelops Sonari and Dhaikinath, I understood why monks chose such locations centuries ago. Walking along a forest path made muddy by winter rain, the only sounds were birdsong and the buzzing of insects. Occasional gusts of wind shook residual water from trees. Amidst this setting stood ancient stupas, viharas and chaityagrahas. The main stupa here rivals the Great Stupa at Sanchi in scale. Inscriptions recount the story of Sariputra and Maudgalyayana, childhood friends who found the path to Enlightenment together. As I left, three monks from Sri Lanka began a chant that seemed to merge naturally with the stillness of Satdhara.
On a Buddhist trail through the heart of India, the stupas seem endless, and the stories multiply. At Andher (located 19 km south-east of Sanchi), inscriptions identify the stupas as contemporaries of Sanchi’s Great Stupa and even mention a renowned Buddhist teacher from Ashoka’s time. Murel Khurd, also known as Bhojpur stupas, reveals dozens of stupas and structures built on terraced hillsides. Sadly, many antiquities discovered here, including relic caskets from Sonari and Satdhara, are now housed in museums in the United Kingdom.
What Remains
The final stop on my trail led to Bharhut in Satna district, where the great stupa of the Shunga period (mid-2nd century BCE) once stood. Though largely destroyed, its sculpted railings and gateways survive in the Indian Museum, Kolkata. These carvings mark an early phase of Buddhist narrative art, depicting Jataka tales and symbols of the Buddha rather than his human form. With their flat planes, intricate ornamentation, and yaksha-yakshi figures, the Bharhut sculptures reflect a transition from wood to stone.
Did I say final? Not quite. Bharhut’s talkative caretaker spoke of another group of stupas nearby at Deur Kothar. A journey that began with a glimpse of a distant stupa now felt like an endless quest.
Perhaps enlightenment lies somewhere along the way. Until then, the next destination beckons.
The Information
Stay: Base yourself in Sanchi for Sonari, Satdhara, Murel Khurd and Andher, though accommodation is limited. Stay in Bhopal for Saru Maru, in Indore or Mandu for the Bagh Caves, and visit Bharhut as a day trip from Khajuraho.
Distances: From Sanchi, Sonari is 13 km away, Satdhara 16 km, Murel Khurd 21 km, and Andher 28 km; from Bhopal, Saru Maru is 78 km away; from Indore, the Bagh Caves are 152 km away; and from Khajuraho, Bharhut is 125 km away.
Also visit: Udaygiri Caves near Sanchi; Bhojpur Temple and Bhimbetka rock shelters en route to Murel Khurd; Mandu’s medieval palaces; the Tribal Museum in Khajuraho; and Chappan Dukaan in Indore for street food.
Best Time: Winter is ideal. Summers are harsh and monsoon makes rural tracks difficult. An SUV with good ground clearance is recommended.
Looking for more such exciting and meaningful stories? Grab our latest issue on Amazon.
