Sanchi Stupa 1: King Asoka Paying Respect to the Bodhi Tree at Bodhgaya

INDIA, Madhya Pradesh, Sanchi

This relief is located on the front of the bottom crossbar on the eastern gateway to Sanchi Stupa 1.
King Asoka (reigned circa 269–232 BCE) often made pilgrimages to Buddhist sites. His eighth edict states that the king visited the site of the Buddha’s enlightenment in Bodhgaya and thus initiated the custom of making pilgrimages to Buddhist religious sites.
The center of this crossbar depicts King Asoka standing in front of the Bodhi tree that is located at a temple built under his command. The right section shows Asoka dismounting from his elephant. He is accompanied by numerous attendants, some also riding on elephants or horse-drawn chariots. The left side of the crossbar depicts rows of devotees with offerings, advancing and accompanied by drummers in the foreground. Immediately above the procession flies a heavenly being, also paying homage. The compact composition illustrates the Indian aesthetic preference for filling the available space.