Write an Essay on Buddhist Stupa

[ 1 ] The meaning of the term Stupa and porpose it meant for.

After the appearehce of the Buddhism in India during the six century BC the Buddha
adopted the Stupa !hich "as in India as a sym#o$ of the ancestor "orship. In e%ery
ancient society the peop$e "orshiped their dead re$ations. In the time of the &edic period
there "ere houses "hich "ere ca$$ed 'rumayam (uruham "hich means the house of
dead appeared in 1)** B.C.
Therefore Stupa means the gratitude to the ancestor. Another "ord is +Stu "hich
means Than,ing of great person. -ere "e understand that the Stupa is the p$ace of
depositing the remaining materia$ of the great person. Then $atter there "ere another
"ord for the house of the dead as Samasana "hich means a tom# or the p$ace of ,eeping
the remained #ody of the dead appeared in 11** B.C.
There again in .ata,a story ca$$ed Su/ata .ata,a "ere Su/ata #ui$t Tupa of c$ay for the
remem#rance of her dead father. And that is ca$$ed 'athi,a Thupam a$$ these instances
are mentioned that there "as the Stupa #efore the appearance of the Buddha.
[ # ] the dignitaries deser%ing to #e honoured "ith a Stupa.
In the 0arini#ana Sutta the Buddha mentions that four peop$e shou$d #e considered as
honored and respected persons "ith erecting stupas after their deaths they are1
1. Sammasam#uddha.
2. 0acce,a#uddha.
3. Arahant.
4. Ca,,a%atti 5ing.
They "ere not erected in the /ung$e #ut on the point of the cross road peop$e are
suggested that if one "ho offers f$o"ers and incense to the stupa and then he "i$$ get
merit. "hen it "as adopted to Buddism its %a$ue #egan to change ear$ier it "as created
"ith the sense of memoria$ %a$ue #ut "hen it "as ta,en into Buddhism it #ecame as an
o#/ect of "orship "hich shou$d confer merit #y "orshiping.
[ c ] Stupa during Buddhas $ifetime and #ui$d them "here6
[ d ] Their historica$ shapes as found in India and Sri 7an,a.
Stupa can #e c$assified according to the shape of dome. Six ,inds of shapes are seen as
the fo$$o"ing1
1. 0addy8-eap shape
&amsatthappa,asini says the shape of this type of stupa is the shape of heap of paddy.
The Thuparama stupa "as origina$$y #ui$d in this shape #y 5ing 9e%anampiya Tissa
during the 3
rd
century B.C. this shape "as introduced to Sri 7an,a #y &en. :ahinda
Thera this Stupa "as #een repair a num#er of times and no" this shape "as #ecame #e$$;
sape. The presence day of 5e$aniya Stupa is in Baddy;shape.
2. Bu##$e8shape
Stupa "hich has a dome "ith the same of "ater #u##$e is ta,en into Bu##$e8shape type.
In the 2rd B.C the 5ing 9utugamuni #ui$d the <u"am%a$i Stupa "ith this shape this
may#e the most prefera#$e in ancient Sri 7an,a. =g. 5iri%ehera [ 5ataragama ]
5ott%ehera [ 0o$annaru%a ].
3. Be$$8shape.
This stupa is most common in Sri 7an,a. At present this shape appears to #e the most
popu$ar type in Burma and Siam. But in ancient Sri 7an,a %ery fe" examp$e of this type
cou$d #e identified. 0rof. 0arana%itana says that due to re$igious inf$uence from Burma
and Siam at the end of 1> century this Be$$ shape may ha%e #ecome popu$ar in Sri
7an,a.
4. 7otus Shape
This type is not ,no"n in Sri 7an,a the Author of +7an,a Stupa? C.= (oda,u#ura said
that the $otus;peta$ $i,e gar# "as found in 5ot%eheara stupa at 0o$onnaru%a. 0rof.
0a%ara%itana said it cannot #e categori@ed as stupa and the 2;simi$ar forms "ere a$so
found in Tami$ and Audhgara stupa at 0o$onnaru%a.
). 0ot shape
The shape of this stupa is $i,e a pot therefore it is named #y the pot. The re$ics #as,ets
made of crysta$ in this shape "ere found enshrined in some stupas in Sri 7an,a from
Aata$adaga#a at Tissamahanama. This type of stupa is popu$ar in Ti#et.
B. SCuare shape
A stupa #ui$d "ith its ca$$ed shapes from #ottom to top is ca$$ed sCuare shape stupa. This
form can #e seen in 'ahayana Buddhist countries and they are ca$$ed + 0aghoda?
'aha#a$a stupa at !at 5u,uth monastery 7umpon in Siam is a good examp$e for this
type. &anathara 0agoda in China is an another examp$e for this type Stamahapasada at
0o$onnaru%a is a good examp$e for this type in Sri 7an,a.