The Ruwanwelisaya stupa is one of the ‘Solosmasthana’ (the 16 places of veneration) and the "Atamasthana" (the 8 places of veneration) in the ancient sacred city of Anuradhapura in Srilanka. Importance of this stupa lies in the Buddha's relics enshrined here, the largest collection of the holy relics of the Buddha anywhere.

It was built by King Dutugamini 140 BC, the King of Sri Lanka. It is also known as ‘Mahathupa’, ‘Swarnamali Chaitya’, "SuvarnamaliMahaceti" (in Pali) and "RathnamaliDagaba".The Mahavamsa contains a detailed account on the construction and the inaugural ceremony of the stupa.

The stupa is one of the world's tallest monuments, standing at 103 m (338 ft) and with a circumference of 290 m (951 ft). The original stupa had been about 55 m (180 ft) in height and was renovated by many kings. The stupa was finally renovated in the early 20th century and the crowning of the stupa took place in 1940.

This is the second-highest stupa in Anuradhapura and designed to appear like a bubble floating on water. The square portion above the dome represents the (Chaluryasatya) Four Noble Truths, while the eight rings represent the (the Arya Asthangamarga) Noble Eightfold Path - both are touchstone teachings of the Buddhism.

The stupa at Kahu-jo-daro is located near Mirpur Khas in Sindh Province of Pakistan. The ruins of the Buddhist stupa and monastery sprawling over an area of 30 acres date back to the 6th AD, was first surveyed by J. Gibbs in 1859 and was excavated by Henry Cousens in 1909.

A relic casket containing an ‘egg-spoonful’ of ash and a bone, some votive tablets, Buddha’s images, vases and many other artifacts were recovered from the excavations. Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese Buddhist Monk who visited Sindh in 7th A.D. century mentions about the presence of hundreds of Buddhist monasteries. Like the site of Harappa of the Indus Valley, bricks from this stupa were also robbed by the railway contractors. Finding of two Buddha statues and ornamental bricks attracted the attention of the British officials and thus the remains survived. Henry Cousens described the stupa as “Towards the north end of the site is the ruined stupa in sun dried bricks of an old stupa, which must be having a decorated outer casing of beautifully carved brick work much of which still remains.”

A terracotta Buddha relief sculpture of sitting cross-legged in meditating position is an important find along with label inscription “Ye Dharma Hetu”of 7th -8th centuries A.D. script on clay tablets.

Boudhanath, also called as Boudha locally, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nepal one of the most visited sites in Khatmandu valley. This Stupa is said to enshrine the remains of the Kassapa Buddha, the twenty-seventh of the twenty-nine named Buddhas, the sixth of the Seven Buddhas of Antiquity, and the third of the five Buddhas of the present Kalpa.

It was laid to have been built right after the Mahāparinibbāṇa of Lord Buddha during the 5th century AD during the period of King Māndeva (464-505 A.D.), and some credit it to Nepalese Lichchhavi king Śivadeva.It lies on an ancient trade route between Lhasa and Kathmandu, and was an important stop for Tibetan traders travelling to the higher reaches of the Himalayas.

This stupa bears two unique features. One is that Buddha’s eyes are painted on the stupa and the second is huge amount of gold used in decorating of the Stupa. The stupa 36 meters (118 feet) in height is built on a massive three level mandala style platform. Around the base of the stupa are 108 small images of the DhyaniAmitabha Buddha and a ring of prayer wheels, set in groups of four or five into 147 niches. The lowest level of the stupa is a square or terraced plinth represents the earth and the Kumbha, the hemispherical dome, symbolizes water.Harmika symbolizing fire is unique as it is painted on each side with the eyes of the Buddha. While the tapering spire above the Harmika representing the air, the Chhatra (umbrella), the void beyond the space.

Tibetans call Boudhanath Chorten Chempo, meaning ‘Great Stupa’ and is a famous stupa in the Himalayan region.

This stupa is located in Topdarra village near Begram town, on north of Kabul set against the Koh-e-Safi mountains in Afghanistan, and stands like a crown on an area of high ground. It was first located by a British explorer Charles Masson in 19th century. Though the dating of this stupa is not clear,given its location near the site of the ancient city of Kapisa, it may have been commissioned between the 2nd and 4th centuries A.D.

The stupa built with stones and its drum, measuring 23 metres across and stands 30 metres high. The drum is decorated with double ‘S’-shaped curves, which give it a decorative band of 56 identical niches framed by rounded arches. Facing east above this frieze is a tri-lobed arch niche where three figures of the Buddha are thought to have once been mounted. The frieze is aligned with a ceremonial stair that faces the valley where the capital of the Kushan Empire, Kapisa, once was located.

Afghanistan Cultural Heritage Consulting Organisation (ACHCO) began its preservation and excavation work in 2016. Buddhism thrived in and around Kapisa for several centuries, as many Buddhist monuments are found in and around this area. Topdara seems to have been one of many stupas along the main road from Kabul to the ancient city of Kapisa, (present Begram), which included the TepeSkander stupa located 15 Kms north of Kabul.

Karla is situated on the Pune-Mumbai highway, about 60 km form Pune. The caves are excavated nearly 100 metres on a high spur of the chain of hills on the north flank of the Indrayani valley. Karla lies on the ancient highway connecting seaports of Kalyan and Sopara with the inland and 8 km from Bhaja another Buddhist site.

This Buddhist site Karla Caves consists of 16 rock cut caves of which cave no. 8 is the chaityagriha built by the Satavahanas. They were excavated between 60-40 B.C. and 4th A.D., representing both Theravada and Mahayana phase. These caves were built from the donations from, a prince of Maharathi family, merchants, merchant guilds, monks, nuns and lay devotees. Some inscriptions speak of donors from Vejamti (Banavasi, north Kanara district); Sopara and unidentified towns of Umehanakata and Yavanas of Dhenukakata.

The inscriptions of Usavadata and VasisthiputraPulumavi (154 A.D.) mention donation of land to the VelurakaSamgha, hinting the ancient name of Karla as ‘Veluraka’. The early Buddhist school, Mahasamghika, was associated with this monastery.

The chaitya griha :

It is the most prominent and biggest of its type in India. The hall measures 37.87 m deep, 13.87 m wide and 14.02 high. This chaitya consists of an apsidal hall divided by two rows of pillars which meet at the rear behind the stupa. The pillars represent great skill and vigour.

The chaityagriha at Karla is also unique as it is one among the two chaityagrihas in western Deccan which has huge lion pillars of Asokan type in front, the other being Kanheri. The shaft is surmounted by an inverted bell member followed by flat surface and inverted stepped pyramidal plates. Four addorsed lions command the top of this pillar. This hall was excavated during the rule of the to the of western Kshatrapas 1st century A.D.

The Stupa :

Located at the rear end of the chaityagriha, it consists of a cylindrical drum rising in two stages. A hemispherical dome rises over the drum which supports a cubical harmika and a seven stepped inverted square pyramid over it. Over the pyramid is placed a wooden chhatri with a shaft through a hole pierced into it. The Stupa and the chaitya griha of Karla stand testimony to the grandeur of the Buddhist rock-cut architecture and art.

Ajanta caves are a series of 30 Buddhist caves located in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra. This site is declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as they preserve some of the best masterpieces of Buddhist art in India.

Ajanta caves were carved in two phases, between 2nd BC to 6th centuries A.D. The first phase (Caves 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15A) was commissioned by Satavahanas and the second phase by Vakatakas. The first phase represent Theravada phase of Buddhism and the later Mahayana.

Cave 9 has chaitya-griha with a stupa. This apsidal chaitya griha is a large liturgical hall, with monolithic stone stupa carved from a living rock.The cave has a distinct apsidal shape, nave, aisle and an apse with an icon, architecture. The aisle has a row of 23 pillars. The ceiling is vaulted.

The stupa is at the center of the apse, with a circumambulation path around it. The stupa sits on a high cylindrical base. On the left wall of the cave are votaries approaching the stupa, which suggests a devotional tradition. Above the pillars and also behind the stupa are colorful paintings of the Buddha with Padmapani and Vajrapani next to him, they wear jewels and necklaces, while yogis, citizens and Buddhist bhikshu are shown approaching the Buddha with garlands and offerings, with men wearing dhoti and turbans wrapped around their heads.

Sanchi is also known as Kakanaya, Kakanava, Kakanadabota and Bota-Sriparvata in ancient times. It is agreat example of Buddhist art and architecture right from the Mauryan period till medieval times (3 BC to 12 centuries A.D.). Stupas, monolithic Asokan pillar, monasteries and sculptural Panels and Toranasstand testimony for this.Mauryan Emperor Asoka commissioned the stupa at Sanchi fascinated by of his Queen Devi, who was the daughter of a merchant of Vidisha. He erected the Great Stupa (Stupa 1) here after redistribution of mortal remains of Lord Buddha for erecting several stupas all over Jamudvipa. Stupa-1 is presumed to have been instructed onthe relics of the Buddha, Stupa-2 the relics of ten arhats belonging to three different generations as the relic casket depict. Stupa-3 has the relics of Sariputta and Mahamodgalyayana. A sandstone pillar, inscribed with Schism Edict by Ashoka was erected at the site.The erection of Stupas 2 and 3 dates back 1st century BC.

Stupa-1 was originally a low structure of brick, half the diameter of the present edifice hemispherical in shape with raised terraces at the base and enclosed by a wooden railing and a stone umbrella at the top. Sanchi Stupa served as a nucleus to a large Buddhist monastery during the post-Asokan period.

During the Sunga times, several edifices were raised,theAsokan stupa was enlarged and faced with stones and decorated with balustrades, staircases and a harmika on the top.

During the 1stcentury BC, the Satavahanas, who had extended their sway over the eastern Malwa, caused the elaborately carved gateways to Stupa 1. The southern Torana (gateway) of the Great Stupa was donated by the Satavahana king Satakarni II, according to an inscription which reads as “Rāño Siri Sātakaṇisa / āvesaṇisavāsitḥīputasa / Ānaṁdasadānaṁ” meaning “Gift of Ananda, the son of Vasithi, the foreman of the artisans of rajan Siri Satakarni”.

This great Stupa displays grandeur and the exquisite carvings of the doorway depict in detail the significant episodes from Lord Buddha’s life and the Buddhist Jataka stories.

From the 2ndto 4thcentury AD, Sanchi and Vidisha came under the rule of the Kushanas, Kshatrapas and finally the Guptas. During the Gupta, period statues of Buddha seated in the canopies facing the four entrances of the Great Stupa were added and some temples were also built. Further, between the 7th – 12th centuries AD, some more shrines and monasteries were added. Sanchi displays harmonious co-existence of Buddhist and Hindu faiths.Since the 14thcentury AD, Sanchi remained deserted till 1818 when General Taylor rediscovered the site.

Dhamek stupa located at Sarnath, near Varanasi, is one amongst the four most sacred places for the Buddhists where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon after attaining enlightenment, known as Dharma Chakra Pravartana or setting the ‘Wheel of Law in motion’. The very first ‘Sangha’ was also founded at Sarnath with sixty-one monks including Lord Buddha, his five erstwhile companions and Yasa, a merchant of Kasi with his fifty-four fellows.

This stupa was constructed at the instance of Mauryan Emperor Asoka in 249 BCE, along with several other monuments, to commemorate the Buddha's association with this location. The word Dhamek stupa is traced to Sanskrit version Dharmarajika Stupa, which can be translated as the Stupa of the reign of Dharma.ChinesetravelerXuanzang who visited Sarnath in 640 AD recorded that over 1,500 monks residing here and the main stupa was nearly 300 feet (91 m) high.

The archaeological significance of the place was first brought to the notice of the modern world by Mr. J. Duncan in 1798 while dismantling the mound like structures to exploit building materials. Excavations carried out by Archaeological Survey of India revealed a number of monasteries, stupas, shrines, inscriptions, sculptures and other antiquities ranging in date between the 3rd century B.C. and 12th century A.D.

The most imposing structure at Sarnath, the Dhamekh stupa is a solid cylindrical structure about 28.5 mts in diameter at base and rising to a height of about 33.5 mts. It is veneered with sand stone up to the height of 11.20 mts and provided with niches in eight directions which must have once held images. Below the niches runs a broad course of beautifully carved elaborate ornamentation representing craftsmanship on stone of the Gupta period. Dharmrajika stupa, Mulagandhakuti shrine, Dharma chakra Jina vihara and apsidal chapel are some other significant structures. Fragments of 15.25 mts high Asokan pillar bearing his edict and two inscriptions of later date are also present here. It was originally crowned by the famous four lion capital, the most magnificent sculpture of the Mauryan art, now seen as the insignia of Government of India.

The Stupa is located in Mankiala village near Islamabad in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Mankiala Stupa was built during the regional period of Kushan king Kanishka (128-151 AD). One of the most fascinating tales about Mankiala Stupa is that Buddha as Bodhisattva sacrificed some of his body parts at this place to feed hungry tiger cubs according to jataka tales.

The stupa was discovered by Mountstuart Elphinstone, the first British emissary to Afghanistan, in 1808. An engraving on the stupa indicates that the stupa was restored in 1891 by the British.

In 1872, Alexander Cunningham reported the massive size of the stupa, as "The great tope of Mankiala is a hemisphere 127 ft 9 in in diameter, resting on a cylindrical neck, 15 feet in height. This is surrounded by a raised terrace 18¾ feet in breadth, and 13 feet 4¾ inches in height. The total height of the dome, as it now stands, is therefore 92 feet 3¼ inches.This stupa is built of blocks of sand stone and kankar. Mankiala stupa's relic deposits were discovered by Jean-Baptiste Ventura in 1830 and presently kept in the British Museum.

Wat Mahathat or Mahathat Temple is a famous and impressive Buddhist temple in Sukhothai Historical Park in the north central Thailand. In Thai language Wat Mahathat means the ‘temple of the great relic’. Stupas are known as Chedis in Thailand.Chedis are traditionally bell-shaped mounds built of mud and brick often covered in white plaster, and in prominent temples gilded in gold leaf.

The Chedi in Wat Mahathat complex was founded by Sri Indraditya between 1292 and 1347 AD and it served as the main shrine of the city as well as the Sukhothai Kingdom. Sukhothai Historical Park covers the ruins of Sukhothai, which means the ‘dawn of happiness’, which served as the capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom during 13th and 14th centuries AD.

The design of Wat Mahathat is based on a mandala, representing the universe, with a principal stupa, built in 1345 to enshrine relics of the Buddha, surrounded by smaller stupas in eight directions. The main stupa has the shape of a lotus bud, representing Sukhothai architectural style. The base is adorned with 168 stucco sculptures of Buddhist disciples walking with their hands clasped together in salutation. Out of the eight smaller stupas, four at the corners are in Mon Haripunchai - Lanna style and the four in between show Khmer influence. At both sides of the main stupa has two 9 metre-tall standing Buddha images called PhraAttharot. The temple also has an assembly hall, mandapa, ordination hall, vihara and 200 small stupas.

Buddhist stupa is called as Chortenin Tibet.This stupa stands at the Potala Palace sqaure in Lhasa which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The architecture of this stupa symbolizes the Buddha's physical presence. It consists of three parts- a whitewashed base, a white washed cylinder and a crowning steeple or shaft. The square base foundation represents the Buddha's lotus throne, symbolizes earth, the state of solidity and five forces (faith, concentration, mindfulness, perseverance and wisdom. The four stepped base may or may not have openings.

Above the base is a square or hexagon four stepped pedestal represents the Buddha's crossed legs. Seated on the base is the cylinder, representing his torso symbolizing water, the state of fluidity and seven essential conditions of enlightenment- concentration, effort, equanimity, flexibility, mindfulness, joy and wisdom.

The square box like structure between the cylinder and the crowning steeple is Harmika, which represents the Buddha's eyes symbolizing the eightfold noble path. The crowning steeple, the Buddha's crown, is usually hand-made of brass and/or covered with gold leaf. It is segmented into 13 tapering rings, a parasol and a twin symbol of the sun and the moon. Those rings, representing fire and the thirteen steps of enlightenment, successively symbolize ten powers of the Buddha and three close contemplations. The stylized parasol, representing wind, wards off all evil.

The 328ft bell-shaped Shwesandaw pagoda stupa on a base of receding terraces was constructed by King Anawrahta, the founder of the Bagan Kingdom in 1057 A.D, is one of the important pagodas of Myanmar. This pagoda shaped like an Egyptian pyramid, with four sides, five floors and a stupa have the legend that it was built to preserve the relics as one of the eight hairs of Shakyamuni Buddha brought from India. Uniqueness of this structure is the existence of two htis (finial ornament or umbrella that tops almost all pagodas in Myanmar)at the top of the temple.

The Shwesandaw is a white painted symmetrical structure consisting of a bell shaped stupa set on a base of five square receding terraces topped with a golden multi-tiered hti. The present hti is a reconstructed one as the old one collapsed in the 1975 earthquake. This stupa once contained terra cotta tiles depicting scenes from the Jataka.Near the southern entrance of the temple is a Mandalay-style bronze Buddha statue. The Buddha’s eyes look straight ahead. Along with the western side of the stupa are some of the statues.

All four sides of the pagoda have a central stairway guarded by Makaras leading to the top of the terraces. Along all four sides of the pagoda opposite the stairway to the third terrace is a pavilion that contains a large standing Buddha image from the 12th century. Two pillars with texts inscribed in Mon language from the end of the 11 century tell the early history.Dozens of bronze and stone Buddha images found at the pagoda during restoration works are on display in the Bagan Archaeological Museum.

Popularly called as SakyamuniYeoraesangjuseolbeop Tap, and Shadowless Pagoda, this Buddhist stupa is located in Bulguksa (Temple of the Buddha Land), the main temple of Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. This 10.75-meters high stone pagoda dates to around AD 751, coinciding with the completion of the construction of Bulguksa. This period is considered as the golden age of Buddhist art in the Silla kingdom.

Pagoda is the term used for a Buddhist stupa in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and some parts of Asia. They are multi-tiered towers with many eaves. The design of this pagoda is very simple with three stories have a 4:3:2 ratio giving the pagoda a sense of balance, stability, and symmetry. The pagoda's three stories rest on a two tiered base with no carvings or reliefs on the faces of the pagoda and surrounded by eight lotus flower stones. Most important aspect of this pagoda is the presence of the relic of the Great Dharani Sutra. In 1966, monks discovered the oldest extant printed material from a wood block in the world, the Mugujeonggwang (The Great Dharani Sutra) in the Pagoda. The printed material is 620 cm in length and eight centimeters in width with eight to nine characters per line. The print has deteriorated due to oxidation and restorations were done in 1988 and 1989 to preserve it.

Treasures like a bronze image of a Buddhist spirit, a bronze mirror, a miniature wooden pagoda, silk, perfume, gogok, beads and a bundle of illegible papers were foundin the foundation of the Pagoda.This pagoda is part of the Bulguka UNESCO World Heritage site and designated as the National treasure No.126 by the South Korean Government.