The famous Buddhist stupa at Sanchi, initially commissioned by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, was significantly enlarged and encased in stone during the reign of which dynasty?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The monumental Sanchi Stupa near Bhopal was originally commissioned in brick by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka during the third century BCE and subsequently expanded to twice its original dimensions with stone railings and elaborately carved gateways under the Shunga dynasty. Other tempting alternatives like the Gupta dynasty contributed significantly to temple architecture elsewhere, but the structural enlargement of Sanchi occurred during the Shunga era.