FiVe HuNDReD MiLeS

Where on Earth is Santa Claus?
Sanchi is an ideal place for spending Christmas. If you like quiet Christmas, without unnecessary shopping, bustling around in snow or mud, no candles, no tree, no family or friends. So the place is ideal for those who hate Christmas.

My Christmas was tranquil. I had a little better meal than usual. That was it. Oh, I ate about a pound of peanuts and two omelets. And I bought a shampoo, washing powder and a book on local monuments! And, what is more, I went to see those monuments.

I doubt I should describe what you can see in the pictures. In short, the oldest and biggest stupa [that sort of hemisphere] is about 2300 years old. This place was chosen by a well-known king Ashoka, since his wife came from a nearby town. There lived monks for many years and a lot was built until the 7th century. Then Buddhism was run over by Hinduism again and Sanchi was forgotten. It was rediscovered as late as in the 18th century.
Thus many statues were preserved, because overactive Moslem leaders knocked heads off other statues elsewhere. It is not appropriate to depict a man, is it?

I won’t tell you anything more. See the pictures. It is a laid-back place. People are smiling and they do not push you into buying their stuff too much. It is an almost forgotten village. The tourists usually come just for a couple of hours. Now, at Christmas, there were a few, but they vanished in the evening. And the silent night came. In your homes, this night is also a quiet one, isn’t it? Finally quiet!