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India to gift Sanchi Stupa replica AND Sarnath Buddha to China
India has finally exported to China an architectural resemblance of the Sanchi Stupa near Bhopal and the cultural aspects of the Sarnath shrine near Varanasi about 14 centuries after pilgrim Hieun Tsang took Buddhism across the Himalayas. A shrine that closely resembles the Sanchi Stupa has been built by the Indian government near the famous White Horse temple, the first Buddhist temple in China, in Henan province.
This is an architectural impression of Sanchi. We have tried to recreate its fine work and even put up a gate similar to Sanchis east gate, art historian Kapila Vatsyayan, who conceptualized the shrine in Henan, told TNN in an exclusive interview. As an artist, I felt Sanchi is best suited to represent Indian Buddhist tradition. It is a completely intact. But it has no idol. So we took the image of Sarnath Buddha, she said.
President Pratibha Patil is scheduled to inaugurate the beiged color two-storied shrine at Luoyang in Henan on May 27. Once opened to tourists and pilgrims, the shrine will become the most visible Indian presence in China and also a symbol of shared heritage between the two countries. The White Horse temple, the first Buddhist temple to be built in China, was also based on inspiration derived from India.
There is a perception that India and China are distant in history with little to do with each other. This temple is a reminder that we are actually quite close, S.Jaishankar, Indias ambassador in China, said.
The shrine, built on 6000 sq meters of land in the White Horse temple complex, is a two-storied structure with engraved panels depicting scenes from the Jataka tales and the life of Buddha along the circular walls on both the floors. The middle portion is a hallow congresstional hall with the statue of Buddha, which is based on the 5th century idol of the god from Sarnath.
"We have derived inspiration from the Sanchi Stupa and other Buddhist monastraies in India while using using modern building techniques," Raka Chakravarty of the Delhi based architechtural firm, Akshaya Jain and Raka Chakravarty, which designed the shrine told TNN.
Vatsyayan said the shrine will enhance people to people relationship between the two countries, and underline the importance of cultural contacts over everything else. Only the cultural relationship stays through history, she said.
China allotted a piece of land for the shrine inside the White Horse temple complex in 2005 in what was seen as a significant political gesture to revive the cultural relationship between the two countries. Indias decision to participate in Chinas decision to enhance the importance of the historical White Horse temple is also a significant political move, sources said.
India to gift Sanchi Stupa replica and Sarnath Buddha to China - China - World - The Times of India
India has finally exported to China an architectural resemblance of the Sanchi Stupa near Bhopal and the cultural aspects of the Sarnath shrine near Varanasi about 14 centuries after pilgrim Hieun Tsang took Buddhism across the Himalayas. A shrine that closely resembles the Sanchi Stupa has been built by the Indian government near the famous White Horse temple, the first Buddhist temple in China, in Henan province.
This is an architectural impression of Sanchi. We have tried to recreate its fine work and even put up a gate similar to Sanchis east gate, art historian Kapila Vatsyayan, who conceptualized the shrine in Henan, told TNN in an exclusive interview. As an artist, I felt Sanchi is best suited to represent Indian Buddhist tradition. It is a completely intact. But it has no idol. So we took the image of Sarnath Buddha, she said.
President Pratibha Patil is scheduled to inaugurate the beiged color two-storied shrine at Luoyang in Henan on May 27. Once opened to tourists and pilgrims, the shrine will become the most visible Indian presence in China and also a symbol of shared heritage between the two countries. The White Horse temple, the first Buddhist temple to be built in China, was also based on inspiration derived from India.
There is a perception that India and China are distant in history with little to do with each other. This temple is a reminder that we are actually quite close, S.Jaishankar, Indias ambassador in China, said.
The shrine, built on 6000 sq meters of land in the White Horse temple complex, is a two-storied structure with engraved panels depicting scenes from the Jataka tales and the life of Buddha along the circular walls on both the floors. The middle portion is a hallow congresstional hall with the statue of Buddha, which is based on the 5th century idol of the god from Sarnath.
"We have derived inspiration from the Sanchi Stupa and other Buddhist monastraies in India while using using modern building techniques," Raka Chakravarty of the Delhi based architechtural firm, Akshaya Jain and Raka Chakravarty, which designed the shrine told TNN.
Vatsyayan said the shrine will enhance people to people relationship between the two countries, and underline the importance of cultural contacts over everything else. Only the cultural relationship stays through history, she said.
China allotted a piece of land for the shrine inside the White Horse temple complex in 2005 in what was seen as a significant political gesture to revive the cultural relationship between the two countries. Indias decision to participate in Chinas decision to enhance the importance of the historical White Horse temple is also a significant political move, sources said.
India to gift Sanchi Stupa replica and Sarnath Buddha to China - China - World - The Times of India
