By road
Sanchi is ~46-55 km northeast of Bhopal
Central India · Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal & Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh
Lakes, begums and Buddhist stupas · Sanchi is ~46-55 km northeast of Bhopal
Getting there
By rail
Bhopal Junction (BPL), in the city; Sanchi also has a small station of its own
By air
Raja Bhoj Airport, Bhopal, in the city
Best time to visit
October to March — lake breezes and clear stupa skies
Don't miss
Sanchi Stupa (UNESCO)
Taj-ul-Masajid
Upper Lake
Tribal Museum
Bhimbetka
Things to do
Old-city walks
Lake boating
Tribal museum
Sanchi day trip
Where to eat
Sources: open-meteo, wikimedia, Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Walking shoes, modest wear for shrines, museum time budgeted
A quieter corner
Bhimbetka's prehistoric rock shelters an hour south
Before you go
Ashoka's stupa complex and a UNESCO site; the best-preserved early Buddhist monuments in India. ~45 km from Bhopal.
About Bhopal & Sanchi
- Lakeside
- Hills
Where it is
Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, is built around two large lakes on the edge of the Malwa plateau in central India, and Sanchi lies a short drive to the north-east, on a low hill near Vidisha.
History
Bhopal is traditionally said to have been founded by the Paramara king Bhoja in the 11th century, and the modern city grew from a state founded by the Afghan soldier Dost Mohammad Khan in the early 18th century. Sanchi's Great Stupa was first built under the emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE and was enlarged and given its carved gateways over the following centuries.
People
Bhopal's people speak Hindi and Urdu, and the city's Nawabi past lives on in its mosques, bazaars and embroidered zari purses called batuas. The Adivasi communities of Madhya Pradesh, including the Gond and Bhil, are celebrated in the city's museums of tribal art.
Known for
- The Great Stupa at Sanchi
- The Upper Lake, or Bhojtal
- Taj-ul-Masajid
- The Tribal Museum
- Bhimbetka rock shelters nearby
Did you know?
For more than a century, until 1926, Bhopal was ruled by a line of four women, the Begums of Bhopal, who built many of the city's mosques, palaces and public works.
Shrines and sites
- Great Stupa
- Stupas 2 and 3
- Sanchi Archaeological Museum
- Udayagiri Caves
Traditions
- Buddhist
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.