CHAPTER XVIII. NO. 2 TOPE.-SÁNCHI. 1. In 1819, when Captain Fell visited Sánchi, this Tope was "in perfect repair, not a stone having fallen;" but in 1822 it was half destroyed by the same amateur antiquaries who ruined the larger Tope. It stands half way down the slope of the hill, about 400 yards from the great Tope, from which it bears 1091° west. The hill has been carefully levelled, and the western side built up to form a court 100 feet square, in the midst of which stands the Tope surrounded by the usual Buddhist railing. 2. The Tope is a solid hemisphere (built of rough stones, without mortar) 39 feet in diameter, springing from a cylindrical plinth of the same diameter, and 3 feet in height. The basement is 6 feet in height, with a projection of 5 feet 4 inches, which forms a terrace for the perambulation of worshippers. The terrace is reached on the eastern side by a double flight of steps (now in ruins) 5 feet 2 * Prinsep's Journal, iii. 494. inches wide, which meet at a landing-place, 7 feet 6 inches square. 3. The hemisphere was flattened at top to form a terrace; which, when measured in its perfect state by This was Captain Fell, was 19 feet in diameter.* most probably enclosed by a coping, or cornice, similar to that which is represented around the terrace of No. 1 Tope at Andher. In the centre stood a square pedestal, surrounded by a square Buddhist railing of small dimensions, its whole height being only 4 feet. The fragments of this railing, which I measured, were :-pillars, 3 feet 1 inch in height, with a section of 7 inches by 5 inches; rails, 10 inches long by 84 inches broad, at intervals of 2 inches. The pedestal was of course originally surmounted by a chatta, but of this no trace now remains. 4. The whole is surrounded by a Buddhist railing 7 feet 6 inches in height, with four entrances towards the four sides of the square court. pillars are 5 feet 11 The inches in height, with a section The rails are 18 of 15 inches by 11 inches. inches broad, with a thickness of 5 inches in the middle. The inter-columniation varies from 17 to 18 inches; and, as in the great Tope, seems The coping is to be equal to the depth of rail. 21 inches in height, and 14 inches thick, and is connected to the pillars in the same way as in the large Tope. This railing, like that of the great Prinsep's Journal, iii. 494. * Tope, is elliptical, the longer diameter from east to west being 74 feet, and the shorter diameter from north to south only 69 feet. By this ellipticity of form, a clear breadth of more than 8 feet is preserved all round the base of the building.* 5. The pillars of the Buddhist railing which have already been described, are perfectly plain; but these are ornamented by medallions containing a variety of flowers, and numerous animals, both known and fabulous. The medallions are circular in the middle of the pillar, and semi-circular at its head and base. The semi-circular medallions are nearly all filled with flowers; but the full medallions have men and women, horses, bulls, lions and elephants, centaurs, winged horses, and winged bulls. Many of the flower ornaments are pretty, but the figures of men and animals are generally coarse and clumsy. 6. The pillars of the entrances are covered with basreliefs, all of the same inferior style of art, save a few remarkable exceptions at the eastern entrance, one of which is much superior, even to the best bas-reliefs of the great Tope. This represents a female standing in a doorway, with her right hand resting on her hip, and in her left hand a lotus flower. Her hair is parted on the right side. She is naked to the waist, from which a single piece of drapery is drawn over the left thigh. The graceful proportions and easy attitude of this figure place its sculptor almost in the same rank with the carver of the beautiful lions of the * See Plate XX. for a plan and view of this monument. south pillar. On another face of the same pillar there is a two-horse chariot containing two figures, and attended by an elephant carrying a standardbearer. On a second pillar is represented a wheel, or symbol of Buddha, standing on an altar, and ornamented with garlands.* Two kneeling figures are bowing down to the steps of the altar. 7. On one of the pillars of the south entrance there is a representation of a Tope, enclosed with a Buddhist railing, and surmounted by a square pedestal, and by the usual chatta. On a second pillar is represented an isolated column surmounted by three lions bearing a wheel or symbol of Buddha. 8. On a pillar of the west entrance there is a basrelief of a single column surmounted by three elephants carrying the same wheel emblem of Buddha. The base is enclosed by a square Buddhist railing; outside which two figures, a male and a female, are paying their adorations.† 9. On a pillar of the north entrance, the wheel or emblem of Buddha is represented resting on the peculiar monogram or symbol of Dharma. On another pillar is shown an isolated column, surmounted by an elephant, and two lions, carrying the wheel emblem of Buddha. 10. The colonnade of this Tope, like that of the Great Chaitya, bears many inscriptions, of which See Plate XXXI., fig. 6, of this work. none have yet been published. These inscriptions are chiefly valuable for the light that they throw on the changes which had gradually taken place in the language. The most remarkable of these is the substitution of Bhikhu for Bhichhu. With five exceptions, the latter is the only spelling used throughout the numerous inscriptions of Asoka's age on the colonnade of the Great Tope at Sánchi; while the former is the only spelling used in all the gateway inscriptions of the age of Sátakarni. But on the colonnade of this Tope we have both spellings; bhikhu being used ten times, and bhichhu five times. From this fact we may conclude that the colonnade was certainly erected at some period between the ages of Asoka and Sri Satakarni. This is borne out by the forms of the alphabetical characters, which, though generally like those of Asoka's time, yet present some differences which undoubtedly point to a later date. The principal change is seen in the manner of attaching the vowel u at the foot of the kh. In the Asoka inscriptions, this is done by the intervention of a dot, or point; but in those of the present Tope, the dot is replaced by a small circle. |