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[Extracted from SANCHI: DESIGN OF STUPA NO. 1 - AS AN EXPRESSION OF TRADITIONAL INDIAN ARCHITECTURE By Atsushi Nonogaki,]


DESIGN OF STUPA

It is not an exaggeration to say that the distinctive features seen in Stupa no. 1 (c. 3rd cent. BC ~ c. 1st cent. AD) can be comprehended as the basis of all of Indian architectural spatial expression, making no distinction
022 Special The World of Indian Architecture Aug., 2002, No.1492, Vol.117. JABS between religions, the sacred or the secular. The vedikas or railings surrounding the main body of the stupa are fences used to protect the domain of sacred things like bodhi trees etc., generally called 'chaitya', a universally important spatial compositional element in India. The 'torana' (gateway) is famous for its sculptural relief depicting Buddhist narratives, including the guardian on the side-column or the figure of the nymph on the bracket etc. Its composition survives in the design of the doorway to the garbhagriha of masonry temples later on (especially in north India). Moreover, worshiping the central stupa by moving clock-wise around it
along the circumambulating path in the space within the railings is also generally seen in the Hindu temple and elsewhere. The chattra on top of the stupa, which is the symbol of nobility, originates from the umbrella
used to shield the noble from strong sunlight. More than religious, it may be said to be a simple form of 'consideration' of the people. The design of the Ashokan pillar in front of the southern 'torana' is the model of
columns in all temples. Even the main body of the 'stupa' is not limited to Buddhism alone, and has Jain examples. In other words, the form of 'stupa' no.1 is simply not created from concepts of Buddhism per se. It already existed within the Indian socio-geographical environment, as a basic form for worshiping or venerating monuments or in the bases of daily propitious observations for good omen in day-to-day living space. The content of the sculptural relief or the storage of Buddha's bones are definitely Buddhist elements, but in the architectural design it can even be said to have none whatsoever. But once given form, as is the way of the world, it gained an independent identity and in countries like Sri Lanka, South Asia, China, Japan etc., where Buddhism spread to, it was truly accepted as the symbol of Buddhist architecture and achieved a
characteristic evolution of its own. On the one hand, as a result of symbolization of the 'stupa', it lost its actual content and cultural background within India. Hence, it lost its place as the chief object of veneration to the image of Buddha, which provided more concrete possibilities and formal diversity for symbolic expression. Consequently, as serious consideration was focussed on temple architecture to house the image of Buddha, the body of the 'stupa' itself went out of use.