Beautifully proportioned, the Great Stupa is the main structure on the hill, directly in front of you as you enter the complex from the north. Originally constructed by Ashoka, it was later enlarged and the original brick stupa enclosed within a stone one. Presently it stands 16m high and 37m in diameter. Encircling the stupa is a wall with four entrances through magnificently carved toranas (gateways) that are the finest Buddhist works of art in Sanchi, if not India.
