The breathtakingly carved figure of a yakshi, hanging from an architrave on the Eastern Gateway, is one of Sanchi’s best-known images. One of the pillars, supported by elephants, features scenes from Buddha’s entry to nirvana. Another shows Buddha’s mother Maya’s dream of an elephant standing on the moon, which she had when he was conceived.
Across the front of the middle architrave is the Great Departure, when Buddha (a riderless horse) renounced the sensual life and set out to find enlightenment.
