Preservation of Sanchi
Topic: Early Indian Art and Architecture: Stupas, Rock-cut Caves, Temples · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings"
Meaning
Sanchi, in Madhya Pradesh, is the best-preserved early Buddhist site in India. It was "discovered" in 1818 with three of its four gateways still standing. It survived for several reasons. The begums of Bhopal (women rulers) paid to protect it. Foreign collectors accepted plaster copies instead of the original gateways. H.H. Cole's idea of keeping works in situ (on the spot) was followed there. And the site escaped railway contractors, builders and collectors.
Example
The French, and some Englishmen, wanted the eastern gateway for a museum but settled for plaster casts. Shahjehan Begum and Sultan Jehan Begum funded the site's upkeep, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) later restored it. It became a World Heritage Site in 1989.
Don't confuse with
- Amaravati: an Andhra stupa whose carvings were removed to Madras, Calcutta and London. Today only a small mound remains there.
Related concepts
- Elliot marbles
- Indian Museum, Calcutta
- Shahjehan Begum
- Sultan Jehan Begum
- H.H. Cole
- In situ preservation
- Treasure Trove Act
- Rajendra Lala Mitra
- European views of Indian art
- Arjuna's Penance