Sanchi Stupa

Sanchi Stupa or the Great Stupa of Sanchi is almost a perfect hemispherical dome that represents the world egg. Set on a square pedestal perfectly aligned to four cardinal directions on the compass symbolizing Earth, the dome itself represents Heaven. The original Sanchi Stupa was built by Emperor Ashoka, who came to power in 258 BCE and soon adopted Buddhism as his religion. He built a total of eight stupas on the hilltop of Sanchi but the Great Stupa is the most elaborate of them all and is also known as Stupa Number One.