Among all the religious monuments of the world, the stupa has the longest
uninterrupted historical development. Though modelled after the Indian
prototype, the stupa architecture was developed in all the countries where
Buddhism had flourished. Over time, the structural shape of the stupa
underwent significant modifications in India and the other Asian Buddhist
countries.
The present study shows how Tibet became a treasure house of Buddhist
culture and literature--highlighting important texts dealing with stupa
architecture. Various ritual activities associated with the construction of
the stupa are described along with the eight fundamental types of
Tibeto-Buddhist stupas and their main structural components. A survey of
the stupas found in the upper Indus Valley in the Leh region of Ladakh
shows their similarity to the Tibeto-Buddhist tradition. The value of the
book is enhanced by an appendix with English translation of four important
Tibetan texts preceded by transliteration.
This monograph is the first in the new sub-series of the IGNCA on the
Buddhist stupas, which would not be restricted to India alone. It is hoped
that such studies will enable the art-historians and archaeologists to
understand this important structural form in totality in relation to its
wide geographical spread and the distinctive features of particular
developments in different countries.
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