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Photo: Christopher Walker, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The structure consists of four arms and hence the name. It was constructed in the 4th - 5th century CE, during the Gupta period.The stupa marks the spot where the Buddha met the five ascetics. The stupa finds a mention in the travelogues of the famous Chinese traveller Xuanzang (Husan Tsang) who visited the site around 7 century CE. The stupa is topped with an octagonal turret. This turret is a later addition and dates back to the Mughal period. It was commissioned by Akbar in 1567 to commemorate Humayun’s visit to Sarnath in 1532.
Chaukhandi Stupa is a Buddhist stupa in Sarnath located 8 kilometres from Cantt Railway Station in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The site was declared to be a monument of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India in June 2019.
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