the most important remains of the flourishing Bud-
dhist art in the Deccan.
North and eastern India in the fifth to
seventh centuries
The aesthetics of the Gandhara and the Mathura
schools of Kushan art played a major role in the de-
velopment of Gupta aesthetics. The Kushan power
ebbed at the end of the third century C.E., and by the
early fourth century the Gupta dynasty ruled over
north and central India. Ancient sites connected with
the Buddha, such as BODHGAYA(Bihar), were refur-
bished; Sarnath, near Varanas(the old Benares, in Ut-
tar Pradesh), where the Buddha delivered his first
sermon, became a major center of Buddhist learning
and artistic development. The remains of two large
stupas, whose cores probably date from the As ́okan pe-
riod, as well as of a number of monasteries, are still
preserved there.
Another famous center of Buddhist learning was
Nalanda, near Rajgir (Bihar). Despite its putative links
to Gautama Buddha and to As ́oka, both of whom are
said to have visited this site, no remains predate the
fifth century C.E. The Stupa/Temple 3 is the most
prominent building at Nalanda. This monument un-
derwent various phases of construction. At its core is
a small stupa set on a square base measuring 173 cen-
timeters each side and 137 centimeters in height. It has
been suggested that this could be an As ́okan stupa,
built on the caitya of S ́ARIPUTRA, the Buddha’s disciple
renowned for his wisdom. It was further enlarged three
more times. However, with the fifth enlargement, in
the sixth century, the monument changed appearance
and plan. It became a large-sized structure with four
lavishly decorated towers at the corners. This monu-
ment was renovated twice more in the eleventh and
twelfth centuries just before the decline of Buddhism
in India.
The stupa beyond India
The Buddhist doctrine was introduced in Sri Lanka in
the third century B.C.E. During the subsequent cen-
turies, a conspicuous number of dagobasor dhatu-
gopas(relic-preservers) were built. Examples of this
local version of the Indian stupa are found at various
sites, such as Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of Sri
Lanka from around the second century B.C.E. to the
ninth century C.E. Here are the oldest surviving
dagobas, the largest of which is the Abhayagiri dagoba.
Its diameter is about 110 meters and its height from
the base to the spire about 82 meters. As is the case of
the stupa in India and Nepal, the dagobasof Sri Lanka
have richly carved oblong projections at each cardinal
point, which were probably thrones for the Dhyani
buddhas. More recent and smaller in size are the Bud-
dhist remains at Polonnaruva, the capital of Sri Lanka
from the ninth to the end of the thirteenth century C.E.
The remains at this site are extremely important be-
cause these monuments were built at a time when Bud-
dhists had greatly reduced, if not altogether ceased,
their building activity in India. Furthermore, the ar-
chitectural developments at Polonnaruva may consti-
tute the link between the architecture on the Indian
subcontinent and architecture overseas.
Buddhism arrived in Burma from important cen-
ters on the eastern coast of India, such as Amaravat
and Nagarjunakonda, in about the fifth century C.E.
Both the MAINSTREAMBUDDHIST SCHOOLSand Ma-
hayana were present at this early date as testified by ar-
chaeological evidence from the Pyu city of S ́rKsetra,
near Prome. In time, further links with southern In-
dia and Sri Lanka, and subsequently with eastern In-
dia, were established, which had a seminal influence in
the formation of Burmese architecture. The Burmese
stupa, an elegant, bell-shaped construction topped by
a conical finial, is raised on a series of terraces or plat-
forms; the most famous example is the great
SHWEDAGONpagoda in Rangoon (ca. fifteenth century).
Mainstream Buddhism was prevalent in Indonesia
until the end of the seventh century C.E. By the end of
the century, however, the Mahayana school had risen
in importance and soon became the only form of Bud-
dhism followed there. One of the most significant Bud-
dhist monuments of the world is BOROBUDURin Java,
dated to around 800. Every part of this magnificent
building, from its mandala-like layout to the tiniest de-
tail of its decorative program, is imbued with a deep
symbolic meaning. Here Buddhist doctrine, the struc-
ture of the universe, and the mystery of enlightenment
are expressed through plan, architectural design, and
sculpture.SeeMonastic Architecture; Relics and Relics CultsBibliography
Dallapicccola, Anna Libera, and Zingel-Avé Lallemant,
Stephanie, eds. The Stupa: Its Religious, Historical, and Ar-
chitectural Significance.Wiesbaden, Germany: Steiner, 1980.
Dehejia, Vidya. Discourses in Early Buddhist Art: Visual Narra-
tives of India.New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal, 1997.
Dehejia, Vidya. Indian Art.London: Phaidon, 1997.STUPA