The Great Stupa, 3rd Century BCE, Sanchi, India. BUDDHISM

• Domed reliquary for a portion of Buddha’s remains

• Symbol of Buddha’s final release

• Solid throughout, built on top of the relics

• Original stupa was built over and doubled in size– Mud and clay was encased in stone

– Gateways added at the cardinal points with carvings of the Buddha’s life and teachings on them

• Surrounded by a fence, interior walkway circles around dome

• Devotees walked around the stupa in a clockwise fashion-meant to be meditative and to symbolize the circle of life– Circumambulation

• Stupas evolved into pagoda forms

Buddha Preaching the First

Sermon, 5th c. CE,

sandstone. Sarnath,

India

• Yoga position, preaching hand gesture (mudra)

• Predella has a narrative about Buddha’s life and the Wheel, which is a symbol for teaching

• Boddhisattvas in nimbus

• Buddha often represented the same way throughout history: seated, frontal, elongated ears, symmetrical, mudras, topknot