Asian Stupas
| The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Madhaya Pradesh, India, built by Emperor Ashoka to house relics of the Buddha (3rd century BCE); UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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| Abhayagiri Dagoba/Monastery (245'), Anuradhapura Sri Lanka (89-77 BCE); UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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Boudhanath (Bodhnath) Stupa, north-east of Katmandu, Nepal (5th century); next to Shechen Monastery and Jamchen Lhakhang Monastery in Nepal. |
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| Mahabodhi Temple at Bodhgaya, India (5-6th century), that marks the site of the Buddha's enlightenment is not technically a stupa, but many small stupas can be seen surrounding the building in the enlargement. On the left is the "Vajrasana" or "Bodhimanda," the adamantine throne on which the Buddha became enlightened. It is placed directly to the east of the site of the bodhi tree to mark where the Buddha became enlightened. |
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| Borobudur Stupa/Temple, the most elaborate mahayana stupa and largest Buddhist monument in the world, Java Indonesia (7-8th century); UNESCO World Heritage Site. The upper rounded terrace with rows of bell shaped stupas contain buddha images symbolizing Arupadhatu, the sphere of formlesness. The main stupa itself is empty, symbolizing complete perfection of enlightenment. The main stupa is only the crown part of the monument, while the base is an elaborate pyramidal structure with galleries adorned with bas relief of scenes derived from Buddhist text depicting the life of Shakyamuni Buddha. |
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| Jetavanarama (Jetvana) Dagoba, the largest single stupa in the world covers 8 acres and originally rose to over 400 feet, making it one of the largest solid structures in the world, second only to the Great Pyramid in Egypt; Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka (276-303 CE); UNESCO World Heritage Site. | ![]() |
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| Ruwanweli Seya/Ruvanvelisaya Stupa (Maha Thupa or Great Stupa) 180', the greatest and most popular stupa in Sri Lanka is surrounded by a base of carved elephants, of which a few are the stone originals, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka (161-119 BCE); UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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Thuparama Dagoba, the stone pillars (7th century) in the foreground replaced wooden pillars that supported a roof over a wooden "vatadage" built over the original earth dagoba believed to enshrine the right collarbone of the Buddha, a gift from Emperor Ashoka. It is the oldest stupa in Sri Lanka (3rd century BCE). The modern stupa in the back was built in the 1860's. |
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| Cave Stupa carved in rock and barely visible from distance, was probably destroyed around 460 CE. Square relic chamber is on top, entranced thru caves at base; Samangan (Aibak), Afghanistan. |
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| Lumbini Stupa of Heaped Lotuses to mark the birth place of the Buddha. The small white building shown on the far right in the enlargement is the former temple of the Buddha's mother Mayadevi. | ||
| Dhamek Stupa of the Turning Wheel at Deer Park at Sarnath, 128 feet high and 93 feet in diameter. Original built in 249 BCE by King Ashoka to mark site where the Buddha gave His first sermon. Rebuilt in 500 CE. See Anatta-lakkhana Sutta. |
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| No stupa found to commemorate the Miracles at Shravasti, but here are smaller stupas at Jeta's Grove near Shravasti. | ||
| The Stupa of Descent at Samkasya has not been excavated because of an Indian law that protects active religious sites and atop the stupa mound is a small active Hindu shrine. | ||
| The Stupa of Reconciliation at Rajgir: Neither a marker or a stupa has been found to commemorates the site of the taming of the mad elephant, Nalagiri, but Vulture Peak on the far right can still be seen where the Buddha turned the wheel of dharma. The more modern stupa to the left was erected where King Ajatashatru erected one of the mahastupas to originally house the Buddha's relics. |
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| The Gift of Honey Stupa at Vaishali commemorates the gift from a monkey. The stupa and the pillar with a lion capital erected by King Ashoka stand in an isolated and seldom visited stretch of flat fields shown here during the rainy season. |
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| Licchavi Stupa at Vaishali. Remains of one of the original eight mahastupas housing the relics of the Buddha. | ||
| Kushinagara Stupa and Temple that mark the site of the Buddha's parinirvana in India are 20th century constructions on the foundations of archaeologically determined structures. They contain replicas of earlier sculptures that were restored from fragments from the site. The Ramabhar Stupa to the left is believed to be the site of the Buddha's cremation. See Shakyamuni Buddha. |
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| Shariputra Stupa, Nalanda, India. |
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| Svayambhu Mahachaitya in Nepal is located on top of a prominent mountain symbolizing Mount Sumeru. The great stupa located here may be one of the eight mahastupas originally housing the relics of the Buddha. If so, it was the only one not opened by King Ashoka and the only one surviving that is still venerated. |
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Shwedagon (Golden) Pagoda (321.5'), It is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda for the Burmese with relics of the past four Buddhas enshrined within, namely the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Konagamana, a piece of the robe of Kassapa, and eight hairs of Gautama, the historical Buddha; Yangon, Myanmar (Burma). |
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| Chedi Phra Sri Rattana at Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), within the grounds of the Grand Palace in the historic center of Bangkok, Thailand. |
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| Phra Pathom Chedi is the highest stupa in the world (417') at Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, dates from the 4th century and was completed in its present form in 1870. |
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| That Dam (Black Stupa), Vientiane, Laos |
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| Dhammakaya Ceriya (Peace Pagoda) at Wat Phra Dhammakaya temple, Pathumthani, Thailand; Millennium of Peace Celebration, which began on the night of December 31, 1999. | ||
Stupa of King Norodom Suramarit, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
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