The Sanchi Stupa of central India has a great historical significance and legacy.
– A destructive war in the 3rd century BCE, that claimed about 200,000 lives, to conquer a state governed by the principles of parliamentary democracy in an era of Rajdharma, transformed Ashoka the Great, to convert to Buddhism.
– His first wife, Mahadevi Sakyakumari or Queen Devi, a Buddhist herself, was a resident of central India. Their two children – son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra – credited with the spread of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, were born in this region too.
– After the war, Ashoka commissioned the construction of The Great Stupa at Sanchi (Raisen District), less than 50 Kms from Bhopal, capital of the present day state of Madhya Pradesh.
– Today, Sanchi Stupa is a world heritage site where the hilltop is home to a variety of monuments including the three stupas, few temples and some ruins.