Buddhist Sites and Stupas

Buddhist Sites and Stupas are the primary architectural manifestations of Buddhist faith, originating as funerary relic mounds (Śarīraka). They progressively evolved into extensive monastic-educational complexes, functioning as pivotal centres for cultural diffusion, economic networks, and the development of distinct Indian art and architecture across millennia.

Evolution of Buddhist Sites

Era

Patronage, Form and Function

Architectural Evolution & Socio-Economic Role

Ancient

Mauryan Period: Emperor Ashoka universalized the Stupa by distributing Buddha’s relics among 84,000 mounds, fundamentally shifting its role from simple burial to accessible, public veneration, significantly propagating the Dharma.

Stupa as Cetiya (Object of Worship): Early sites ....

Do You Want to Read More?
Subscribe Now
To get access to detailed content

Already a Member? Login here

Take Annual Subscription and get the following Advantage
The annual members of the Civil Services Chronicle can read the monthly content of the magazine as well as the Chronicle magazine archives.
Readers can study all the material since 2018 of the Civil Services Chronicle monthly issue in the form of Chronicle magazine archives.
Be an Annual Subscriber

Indian History