What is a stupa?
Speaker: Dr. Cortney Chaffin Kim
Defining stupa
What is a stupa? This video answers this question by looking at a 2nd-century BCE stone relief carving from the Stupa of Bharhut in Madhya Pradesh, India. The relief is an example of early Buddhist art and it depicts followers of the religion worshipping at a stupa. This video explains what a stupa is, the symbolism of stupas, and how these monuments function in the Buddhist religion. It also discusses how stupas were used as aniconic symbols in early Buddhist art.
Relief of a stupa, 2nd-century BCE, stone, from the Stupa of Bharhut in Madhya Pradesh, India. National Museum of Asian Art, Washington, D.C. Photo: © Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank.
Video chapters
0:00 Introduction to a Buddhist stupa relief from Bharhut Stupa in India
0:29 What is a stupa?
1:56 The function of the stupa relief and the stupa as a symbol in Buddhist art
Learn more
Check out our entire glossary of art history.
Discover more resources about the Great Stupa at Sanchi.
Learn more about early Buddhism in South Asia.
