Category Stupas

Swayambhu stupa and prayer flags

This category includes information about all the . is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics that is used as a place of .

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Phra Pathom Chedi, one of the earliest Buddhist stupas in Thailand

Buddhist Stupas in Thailand – The golden architectural era

Buddhist temples in Thailand are characterized by tall golden , and the Buddhist architecture of Thailand is similar to that in other Southeast Asian countries, particularly Cambodia and Laos, with which Thailand shares cultural and historical heritage. During Ram Khamhaeng's reign, stupas were built, reflecting the Sri Lankan influence. One of these is Wat Chang Lom. Thai travelers to Sri Lanka also brought back the root of a Bodhi tree, which began the Thai tradition of .
World Peace Pagoda, Lumbini

Buddhist Stupas in Nepal – The relics of the Buddha

in Nepal date back to the Licchavi period. is one of the oldest known buildings in the country and was likely built in the 5th century. It was built in Swayambhu, Kathmandu, where the land was declared as sacred to Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha), by the 3rd Emperor of the Maurya Dynasty Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE. According to the legends, the stupa came out of a sacred lotus at the centre .
Gumbatona stupa, Swat, KPK

Buddhist Stupas in Pakistan – Wonders of the Kashmira-Gandhara region

Buddhism in Pakistan took root some 2,300 years ago under the Mauryan king Ashoka who sent missionaries to the Kashmira-Gandhara region of North West Pakistan extending into Afghanistan, following the Third Buddhist council in Pataliputra (modern India). Majjhantika, a monk from Varanasi was the first Buddhist to preach in Kashmir and Gandhara. Buddhist sites in Sindh are numerous but ill preserved in various stages of deterioration. Sites at Brahmanabad (Mansura Sanghar district) include a Buddhist stupa .
Abayagiri Dageba, Sri Lanka

Buddhist Stupas in Sri Lanka – The tallest pre-modern structures

, also called dagobas and cetiyas, are considered an outstanding type of architectural creation of ancient Sri Lanka. Stupas were built in Sri Lanka soon after Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura converted to Buddhism. The first stupa to be built was the Thuparamaya. Later, many more were built over the years, some like the Jetavanaramaya in Anuradhapura, being one of the tallest ancient structures in the world. Under the influence of Buddhism, there were several changes in .
Sanchi Stupa No.2, the earliest known stupa with important displays of decorative reliefs, circa 125 BCE

Buddhist Stupas in India – The earliest Buddhist buildings

Religious buildings in the form of the Buddhist stupa, a dome shaped monument, started to be used in India as commemorative associated with storing sacred relics of the Buddha. The earliest archaeological evidence for the presence of Buddhist dates to the late 4th century BCE. In India, , Sarnath, Amaravati and are among the oldest known stupas. After the parinirvana of the Buddha, his remains were cremated and the ashes divided and buried .
East Gateway and Railings of Bharhut Stupa

Buddhist Stupas – Preserving the sacred relics

A is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics that is used as a place of meditation. A related architectural term is a chaitya, which is a prayer hall or temple containing a stupa. In Buddhism, circumambulation or pradakhshina has been an important ritual and devotional practice since the earliest times, and always have a pradakhshina path around them. According to Buddhist tradition, Emperor Ashoka (rule: 273—232 BCE) recovered the relics of the Buddha .
Relics of buddha from the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand

Buddhist relics – The ashes of spiritual Masters

Śarīra is a generic term referring to Buddhist relics, although in common usage it usually refers to pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects that are purportedly found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters. Relics of the Buddha after cremation are termed dhātu in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta. Śarīra are held to emanate or incite 'blessings' and 'grace' within the mindstream and experience of those connected to them. Sarira are also believed to ward off evil .
"Great Buddha Statue" at Bodh Gaya

Historical Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India

In religion and spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or search of great moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a sacred place or to a shrine of importance to a person's beliefs and faith. Members of every major religion participate in pilgrimages. A person who makes such a journey is called a pilgrim. Among the four major Buddhism sites of pilgrimage one is in Nepal: - Lumbini, where Buddha was born and the three .

The Stupas of Kathmandu valley – History & splendor

The of valley are unique in their and cultural relevance. They are a feat of intricate craftsmanship and artistry. From the domes, to the pillar bearing an umbrella to the beautiful doorways and the eyes (painted on most in ) all portray exemplary . Stupas not only remind us of the splendor of the and architecture of the past, they also have great and spiritual significance in .
Buddha statue in Borobudur (Indonesia), the world's largest Buddhist temple.

Different types of Buddhist architecture

Buddhist religious architecture developed in the Indian subcontinent. Three types of structures are associated with the religious architecture of early Buddhism: (viharas), places to venerate relics (), and shrines or prayer halls, which later came to be called in some places. The initial function of a was the veneration and safe-guarding of the relics of Gautama Buddha. The earliest archaeologically known example of a stupa is the relic stupa located in Vaishali, .