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Unit 3 Essay: Indian Buddhist Architecture

Emily Huber
LSTD 3113 Humanities in the Ancient World
Jenny Lang
I certify that I have read A Student's Guide to Academic Integrity at the University of
Oklahoma, and this paper is an original paper composed by me for this course. Except
where properly cited and attributed, it has not been copied or closely reworded from any
other source and has not been submitted as a whole, or in part, for credit in any other
course at OU or any other educational institution. It has not been created or submitted
for any other purpose such as a job assignment at my workplace or any other agency.

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The religious architecture of the Buddhism is very symbolic and sacred to their
ideals and beliefs. Each feature and part has detailed meaning and reasoning or is a
representation of a religious belief. Those who built stupas and Chaitya halls were very
intelligent and true to their ideaology. There are also some key similarities and major
differences of the Buddhist structures to those of Christianity and Islam.
In the very early days of Buddhism after Buddha had died, his body was cremated
and his ashes were divided up into eight portions. Each portion of his ashes went into a
stupa, a burial mound, in one of the eight places where he lived during his time on earth.
Each stupa represented the idea of a present, living Buddha in each of the eight
kingdoms. Stupas not also housed the relics of Buddha, but also those of his disciples
(Fiero 217). The shape of the original stupas was dome and beehive like, representing
the World Mountain, the Dome of Heaven, and the hallowed Womb or the Universe
(Fiero 217). The idea of the stupa burial mound had deep Indian roots that tie back to
their culture centuries before the Buddhists first created their stupas. Eventually in the
third and fourth century B.C.E, Ashoka, a Buddhist emperor, decided to separate the
ashes even more; he created over 60,000 shines throughout India and China for Buddhist
worshipers to go and praise Buddha (Fiero 217). The stupa not only represented the
living presence of a Buddha after he was gone, but it also exemplified the strength and
importance the Buddhist culture had and how they wanted to keep expanding their
presence in world (Violatti 1). Priests would go to stupas to honor and pray to Buddha in
order to advance in their spiritual path to nirvana (Violatti 1). Overtime as stupas became
more common, they not only functioned as a place to praise the remains of Buddha, but
they turned into a place for rituals, gatherings, and pilgrimages.

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Chaitya halls are large halls or enclosings that are devoted to worshiping and
praying in the Buddhist religion. They were originally built around the stupa by brick or
stone or attached at the end. These halls became a more integral part of the stupa because
as the function of the stupa evolved from a funeral place to a place of praise, worship,
and reverence they became more useful and ideal. The idea for the Chaitya hall originated
in the early first or second century due to the expanding uses of the stupa.
The architectural structure of the stupa and Chaitya hall are very symbolic and are
a true representation of the Buddhist ideals and beliefs. The design of the stupa is based
off of the mandala, a diagrammatic map of the universe used as a visual air to
meditation (Fiero 217). The dome shape structure has is typically made with stone and
brick and has four gates to mark as the North, South, East, and West entrances. The dome
is also typically rested upon a square base. Some stupas, for example the Great Stupa at
Sanchi in India, have multiple chatras on top (Fiero 217). Chatras are umbrella shapes
that signify sacred things such as the bo tree, which is the tree that Buddha sat under
when he finally reached nirvana. In addition, the chatras symbolize the levels of human
consciousness through which the soul ascends in seeking enlightenment (Fiero 218).
The Chaitya halls are then located near the end of the stupa or around the stupa in some
cases. The idea was people could have time for individual prayer and meditation, while
then going to praise or adore the ruins of Buddha (Violatti 1). The basic layout of the
halls consists of one long central nave, which is a middle aisle between the altar and the
apse as in a classic church, and then has pillars on both the right and left side. Chaitya
halls also generally have vaulted or high wooden ceilings or arched porticos (Violatti 1).

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The way the stupas and Chaitya halls were created and why certain elements are
the way they are, is to reflect the ideals of the Buddhist religion. For example, the
structure is dome shaped because that creates a circular path around it, which people
circle clockwise to resemble the never ending journey for nirvana and the belief in
regeneration. As mentioned earlier, the chatras signify the fig tree, which is a key symbol
of the Buddhist faith (Fiero 217). Other symbols used in worship are footprints,
elephants, and the wheel. The symbol of the wheel is the upmost important and represents
the sun and the Wheel of Law (Fiero 218). The art on the walls, pillars, entrances, and
surfaces on the gates are depicted with these figures. Some Buddhist historians believe
the simple shape of the dome, and in some cases the shapes of a bell, a water pot, or a
bubble were chosen because they are simple and ideal (Buddhistdoor International 1).
The idea of simplicity in life was deeply valued by Buddhists, which goes to show their
values and beliefs are not only in what they do, but in various parts of their culture as
well. Over time there have been various legends and folklores created and passed down
orally that describe the early encounters with certain stupas (Buddhistdoor International
1). Stupas and Chaitya halls are key demonstrations of the Buddhist culture and religion
based on the symbolism and characteristics of these ancient pieces of architecture.
The religious symbolism in the structure and purpose of stupas and other features
of them are very similar to that of a basilica in the Christian church and of a mosque from
the Islamic religion. The Buddhist religion used symbols in their artwork at their places
of worship as does Christians in their stain glass windows and carvings on the walls and
buildings. Another similarity is the way the stupa and the basilicas are built; both have
long naves, side aisles, certain entrances, and apses (Fiero 218). According to Fiero, the

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ceilings in both the Early Christian basilicas resembled much of the early wooden roofs
in the Chaitya halls (Fiero 218). In comparison with the Islamic traditions, the stupa and
Chaitya hall is a place of prayer as is the mosque, which is different than in Christianity
because their place of worship is devoted to religious liturgy (Violatti 1). Finally, the
Islamic religion also used the idea of the dome shaped building in their religious culture,
such as with the Dome of the Rock, a famous Muslim dome located in Jerusalem.
Even though there are numerous similarities between the Buddhists religious
architecture and that of the Early Christians and Muslims, there are also some differences.
For instance, one example is how in the Buddhist religion, one rotates in circles around
the stupa to represent the spiritual journey of rebirth and regeneration, where as in
Christian tradition the spiritual journey of sin to salvation is demonstrated by passing
from the narthex to the apse in a linear motion (Fiero 217). Although they both have a
similar idea, they are done differently. A difference between the Buddhist and Islamic
religion and structures would be how in Islamic art they dont believe in the use of
symbols so their art in places of worship and in general are never three dimensional or
pictorial (Fiero 244).
The worship places and rituals are very sacred and important to those of the
Buddhist religion, which is why the structure of the stupa is symbolic and a perfect
representation to their beliefs and ideas. The stupa plays an important role in the Buddhist
culture not just by housing the most holy relics of Buddha, but also by acting as a place
for prayer and individual meditation. Although similar to structures of other religions, the
stupa and Buddhist culture is unique and honorable to those who believe.

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Works Cited
Buddhistdoor International. "Stupas - A Reflection on What They Symbolize." The
Buddhistdoor. Buddhistdoor Global, 7 May 2012. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. 7th ed. Vol. 1. New York: McGraw-Hill
Education, 2015. Print.
Violatti, Christian. "Stupa." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History
Encyclopedia, 01 Sept. 2014. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.