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A 'stupa' (from the Pāli) is a type of Buddhist mound-like structure found across the Indian subcontinent, other parts of Asia, and increasingly in the Western World. Stupas are known in many Southeast Asian countries as 'chedi', for example Thai เจดีย์ (from a Pāli synonym of stupa: Chaitya); in some countries (particularly Sri Lanka) as 'dagoba' (from Sanskrit ''dhatu''- element, component, or relic + ''garbha'' - storehouse or repository); or as 'tope' (from Hindi ''top'', derived from Sanskrit ''stūpa'', a heap).

Contents

Description

Gallery

References

See also

External links

Description

The stupa is the earliest Buddhist religious monument and was originally only a simple mound made up of mud or clay, or a cairn in barren areas, to cover supposed relics of the Buddha. After the ‘passing away’ of the Buddha his remains were cremated and the ashes divided and buried under eight stupas with two further stupas encasing the urn and the embers. Little is known about these early stupas, particularly since it has not been possible to identify the original ten monuments. However, some later stupas, such as at Sarnath and Sanchi, seem to be embellishments of earlier mounds. In the third century BC, after his conversion to Buddhism, the emperor Ashoka had the original stupas opened and the remains distributed among the several thousand stupas he had built. Nevertheless, the stupas at the eight places associated with the life of the Buddha continued to be of particular importance. Accordingly, the importance of a stupa changed from being a funerary monument to being an object of veneration. As a consequence their appearance changed also.
They evolved into large hemispherical mounds with features such as the torana (gateway), the ''vedica'' (fence-like enclosure evolved from the vedic villages), the ''harmika'' (a square platform with railings on top of the stupa), ''chattrayashti'' (the parasol or canopy) and a circumambulatory around the stupa. From the first century BCE onwards, stupas were incorporated into the hall of the chaitya-griha.
The oldest known stupa is the Dhamek Stupa at Sanchi, India, while the tallest is the Phra Pathom Chedi in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, with a height of 127 metres.
The stupa evolved into the pagoda as Buddhism spread to other Asian countries. The pagoda has varied forms that also include bellshaped and pyramidal ones. Today, in the Western context, there is no clear distinction between the stupa and the pagoda. But in general ''stupa'' is used for a Buddhist structure of India or south-east Asia, while ''pagoda'' refers to a building in east Asia which can be entered and which may be secular in purpose.
Fundamentally, a stupa is essentially made up of the following five constituents:
a). A square base

b). A hemispherical dome

c). A conical spire

d). A crescent moon

e). A circular disc
Each of these components is rich in metaphoric content, for ex. "the shape of the stupa represents the Buddha, crowned and sitting in meditation posture on a lion throne. His crown is the top of the spire; his head is the square at the spire's base; his body is the vase shape; his legs are the four steps of the lower terrace; and the base is his throne."^[1]
It is also identified with one of the five cosmic elements said to make up the entire manifested existence. These are earth, water, fire, air and space.
Regional names for stupa include:

★ Chaitya - Nepal

★ Candi - Indonesia and Malaysia

★ Chedi - Thailand

★ Chorten - Tibet and Bhutan

★ Dagoba/Chaitiya - Sri Lanka

★ Chedey - Cambodia

★ Sübürgen - Mongolia

★ Tap - Korea

★ That - Laos

★ Ta - China (塔lit: "tower")

★ Tō - Japan (塔 lit: "tower")

★ Zedi () /Pahto () - Myanmar

Gallery

References

★ Mitra, D. (1971). ''Buddhist Monuments''. Sahitya Samsad: Calcutta. ISBN 0-89684-490-0.

★ The Stupa - Yoga's Sacred Architecture

See also

★ Pagoda

★ Prayer beads

★ Prayer wheel

★ Peace Pagoda

★ Tibetan prayer flag

External links

★ Stupas.org is an entire site dedicated to the history and meaning of stupas

★ Wolrd's Largest Buddhist Pagoda, India

★ Shambhala Mountain Center, One of the largest Stupas in North America

★ Gyantse's Kumbum Stupa

★ The Stupa Information Page

★ KPC Stupa Project

★ Dhardo Rimpoche Stupa at Padmaloka

★ Largest Stupa in Europe, 'The Englightenment Stupa' in Spain

★ 1st Tibetan Stupa in America (USA) Changchup Stupa

★ What is a Stupa?

★ Stupas, Tempel und verwandte Bauwerke aus drei Felsbildstationen bei Chilas am oberen Indus (Nordpakistan) in German

★ Meaning of the Thai Chedi