Stupas are monuments that are an important part of Buddhist architecture and belief. They are mound-like or hemispherical structures that contain relics, such as the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns, and are used as places of meditation. Stupas were originally traditional burial mounds for everyday people in ancient India, but Buddhas death changed their significance, and they became important monuments in Buddhism. Stupas are classified based on form and function into five types: relic stupa, object stupa, commemorative stupa, symbolic stupa, and votive stupa.
The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, India, is the most famous and best-preserved early stupa in India. Large stupas have or had vedikā railings outside the path around the base, often highly decorated with sculpture, especially at the torana gateways, of which there are usually four. At the top of the dome is a thin vertical element, with one or more horizontal discs spreading from it. These were chatras, symbolic umbrellas, and tend not to have survived, if not restored.
Buddhists visit stupas to perform rituals that help them to achieve one of the most important goals of Buddhism: to understand the Buddhas teachings, known as the Four Noble Truths, so when they die, they cease to be caught up in samsara, the endless cycle of birth and death. Small stupas can function as votive offerings, and individuals could sponsor the casting of a votive stupa to gain merit and improve their karma.
Stupas are found in all Buddhist countries, and their style differs from culture to culture, but the basic structure remains the same. The square base represents the Buddhas crossed legs as he sat on the earth; the middle section, called the hemisphere or mound, is the Buddhas body; and the conical spire at the top represents the Buddhas head. There may also be a wooden pole within the stupa representing the Buddhas spine or central channel.
