Saru Maru is the archaeological site of an ancient monastic complex and

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

caves. The site is located near the village of Pangoraria, Budhani Tehsil,

Sehore District Sehore District is a district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The town of Sehore is the district headquarters. The district is part of Bhopal Division. Demographics According to the 2011 census, Sehore District has a population of ...

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the second ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

.Gupta, The Origins of Indian Art, p.196Archaeological Survey of India
/ref> The site is about 120 km south of

Sanchi Sanchi is a Buddhist complex, famous for its Great Stupa, on a hilltop at Sanchi Town in Raisen District of the State of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located, about 23 kilometres from Raisen town, district headquarter and north-east of Bh ...

Description

The site contains a number of stupas as well as natural caves for monks. In the caves many Buddhist graffiti have been found (

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. I ...

triratna The Triratna ( pi, or ; sa, or ) is a Buddhist symbol, thought to visually represent the Three Jewels of Buddhism (the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha). Symbol The Triratna symbol is composed of: * A lotus flower within a circle. * A di ...

kalasa Kalasa is a tehsil located in Chikkamagaluru district in Karnataka. Kalasa is home to the Kalaseshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Kalasa lies 92 Kilometres South-west of Chickmagalur and is located on the banks of the Bhadra River. Kannad ...

...). In the main cave were found two inscriptions of

Ashoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...

: a version of the Minor Rock Edict n°1, one of the

Edicts of Ashoka The Edicts of Ashoka are a collection of more than thirty inscriptions on the Pillars of Ashoka, as well as boulders and cave walls, attributed to Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire who reigned from 268 BCE to 232 BCE. Ashoka used the exp ...

, and another inscription mentioning the visit of Piyadasi (honorific name used by

in his inscriptions) as ''Maharahakumara'' (Prince). According to the inscription, it would seem that

visited this Buddhist monastic complex while he was still a prince, and viceroy of the region of

, while his residence was to be at

Vidisha Vidisha (विदिशा, formerly known as Bhelsa and known as Besnagar in ancient times) is a city in central Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located 62.5 km northeast of the state capital, Bhopal. The name "Vidisha" is derived from th ...

. In the Buddhist tradition, Ashoka's wife was called Vidishadevi. File:Saru Maru small stupas.jpg, Small stupas on the hill of Saru Maru. File:Saru-Maru Ashoka inscription.jpg, An inscription of Ashoka in one of the Saru Maru caves. It is a portion of Minor Rock Edict No.1. File:Ashokan Inscription near Panguraria village, Madhya Pradesh.jpg, View of the Minor Edicts

Full commemorative inscription

References

External links

ASI Saru Maru page
{{Commons category, Saru Maru Caves of Madhya Pradesh Buddhist monasteries in India Buddhist caves in India Indian rock-cut architecture Former populated places in India Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India Stupas in India Architecture in India Caves containing pictograms in India Sehore district