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In the Western context, there is no clear distinction between a stupa and a pagoda. In general, however, "stupa" is the term used for a Buddhist structure in India or Southeast Asia, while "pagoda" refers to a building in East Asia that can be entered and that may be used for secular purposes. However, use of the term varies by region.
Pha That Luang, the holiest wat, pagoda, and stupa in Laos, in Vientiane; Phra Pathommachedi the highest pagoda or stupa in Thailand Nakhon Pathom, Thailand; Shwedagon Pagoda, a 98-metre (322 ft) gilded pagoda and stupa located in Yangon, Myanmar. It is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda for the Burmese with relics of the past four Buddhas ...
The initial function of a stupa was the veneration and safe-guarding of the relics of Gautama Buddha. The earliest archaeologically known example of a stupa is the Relic Stupa of Vaishali located in Bihar, India. [1] [2] In accordance with changes in religious practice, stupas were gradually incorporated into chaitya-grihas (prayer halls).
They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represent the pure land or pure environment of a Buddha . Traditional Buddhist temples are designed to inspire inner and outer peace.
The stupa was originally a simple mound containing the Buddha's ashes which in time became more elaborate, while its finial grew proportionally larger. [2] After reaching China, the stupa met the Chinese watchtower and evolved into the pagoda, a tower with an odd number of stories. [note 1] Its use then spread to Korea and, from there, to Japan.
Chedi (Thai: เจดีย์) – also known as a Stupa it is mostly in the form of a bell-shaped tower, often accessible and covered with gold leaf, containing a relic chamber. Prang (Thai: ปรางค์) – the Thai version of Khmer temple towers, mostly in temples from the Sukhothai and the Ayutthaya period.
Situated between the trade routes of India, Tibet and China, Nepali architecture reflects influences from these cultural strongholds. The pagoda architectural tradition figures prominently among Hindu temples in the country. In contrast, Buddhist temples reflect the Tibetan tradition of Buddhist architecture and the stupa features prominently ...
Early chaityas enshrined a stupa with space for congregational worship by the monks. This reflected one of the early differences between early Buddhism and Hinduism, with Buddhism favoring congregational worship in contrast to Hinduism's individual approach. Early chaitya grhas were cut into living rock as caves.