Stupa

At its simplest, a stupa is a dirt burial mound faced with stone. In Buddhism, the earliest stupas contained portions of the Buddha's ashes, and as a result, the stupa began to be associated with the body of the Buddha. Adding the Buddha's ashes to the mound of dirt activated it with the energy of the Buddha himself.

Stupa Media

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  Megalithic burial mound (tumulus) with chamber, India

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  The Piprahwa stupa is one of the earliest surviving stupas.

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  Buddha's ashes stupa built by the Licchavis, Vaishali, and one of the earliest stupas

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  An early stupa, 6 meters (20 ft) in diameter, with fallen umbrella on side at Chakpat, near Chakdara; probably Maurya, 3rd century BCE

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  Evolution of the Butkara Stupa. Reference: Domenico Faccenna, "Butkara I, Swat Pakistan, 1956-1962), Part I, IsMEO, ROME 1980. Own drawings, own work.

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  The Ahin Posh stupa was dedicated in the 2nd century CE under the Kushans and contained coins of Kaniska I.

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  Manikyala Stupa, from the period of Kaniska I

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  Row of chorten stupas on roadside east of Leh, Ladakh

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  Borobudur bell-shaped stupas

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  A Jain stupa, Mathura, 1st century CE