Stupa 3

Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh


Stupa 3 is northeast of the Great Stupa and similar in design, though smaller, with a single, rather fine gateway. It dates from the 2nd century BC and once contained relics of two important disciples of the Buddha, Sariputta and Moggallana. They were moved to London in the 19th century but relics believed to be the same ones were returned in 1952 and are now kept in the Chetiyagiri Vihara.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh attractions

1. Stupa 4

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The 2nd-century BC Stupa 4 stands behind Stupa 3, but only its base is left.

2. Stupa 5

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Between the Great Stupa and Stupa 3 is the small Stupa 5, unusual in that it once contained a statue of Buddha, now displayed in the Archaeological Museum.

3. Temple 31

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The rectangular Temple 31 was built in the 6th or 7th century, but reconstructed during the 10th or 11th century. It contains a well-executed image of…

4. Pillar 26

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The 5th-century AD Pillar 26 is an inferior imitation of Pillar 10. Its lion capital can be seen in the Archaeological Museum.

5. Northern Gateway

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The Northern Gateway, topped by a broken wheel of law, is the best preserved of the toranas. Elephants support the architraves above the columns, while…

6. Pillar 25

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Pillar 25 (east of the Great Stupa) dates from the Sunga period (2nd century BC). Its lion capital is in the Archaeological Museum.

7. Pillar 35

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Pillar 35 (northwest of the Great Stupa) dates from the 5th century AD. Its capital, with a figure of the Bodhisattva Vajrapani, is in the Archaeological…

8. Eastern Gateway

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The breathtakingly carved figure of a yakshi (mythical fairylike beings), hanging from an architrave on the Eastern Gateway, is one of Sanchi’s best-known…

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