Stupa

Stupa, also tope or dagoba, hemispheric or bell-shaped masonry monument designed as a Buddhist (or occasionally Jain) shrine or reliquary. The stupa form derives from the eight mounds under which the remains of the Buddha were buried after his death, following Hindu burial custom. It became the basis of Buddhist temple architecture. Excavated stupas at the ancient Buddhist site of Vaishāli in India were found to contain ashes, presumably those of the Buddha himself.

Stupas range in size from small, rudimentary structures to massive, ornately decorated monuments. In many cases a number of smaller stupas surround the main stupa. The elaborately decorated Great Stupa at Sanchi (3rd century bc to 1st century bc) in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh is considered to be the finest surviving example.

The earliest stupas were domed mounds that enclosed relics or effigies. A single pillar (yasti) bearing three umbrella-like discs (chatras) surmounted the mound, and railings ran around both the mound and the pillar. The mound represented Mount Meru—the world mountain, seat of the gods, and center of the universe. The pillar represented the axis of the world; the square fence (harika) around the pillar, heaven; and the three discs, the Triple Refuge of the Buddhist faith. The railings followed the Hindu practice of enclosing sacred spaces. The four gateways (toranas) in the fence round the stupa were decorated with relief sculptures of the Jatakas, the legends of the Buddha’s deeds. In time stupas diversified into conical, stepped, or bell shapes, usually made of brick or stone, and were highly decorated. The famous stupa at Shwe Dagon in Yangon (formerly Rangoon), Myanmar, is covered with gold leaf.

Worship consisted at first of walking around the stupa in the direction of the Sun. The focus of worship changed, however, as statues of the Buddha began to appear in the 1st century ad, perhaps influenced by Greek art. Some stupas had niches in which statues were placed.

As Buddhism spread the shape of the stupas changed. The shape became more complex and tended to combine dome and pillar into a single conical shape. In Sri Lanka relatively austere stone stupas evolved, while in Nepal stupas were decorated with eyes. A bell-shaped stupa profile became prevalent among the Hinayana Buddhist sects of Southeast Asia. In East Asia the stupa form was combined with native Chinese watchtower designs to produce the pagoda.