Chapter 33: Worship of the Stupa｜Daily Devotion in Gandhara

With the distribution of relics, the stupa became the central monument of Buddhist devotion. Acts of worship and circumambulation of stupas were everyday practices and appear frequently in Gandharan reliefs.

Gandharan Depictions

• Stupa design: domed with harmika and parasol finials, often elaborately carved.
• Gestures of devotion: devotees join hands or prostrate in reverence.
• Offerings and circumambulation: attendants carry flowers, lamps, or incense while walking around the stupa.
• Kings and monks: rulers and monastics appear together, showing communal participation.

The stupa often dominates the relief, emphasizing its centrality. Unlike dramatic episodes of the Buddha’s life, stupa worship conveys continuity and collective devotion.

Stupa worship embodied several meanings:

• Presence of the Buddha: the stupa was revered as the Buddha’s body.
• Lay-monastic unity: it united monks and laypeople in shared practice.
• Spread of Buddhism: stupas dotted Gandhara’s cities and landscapes, becoming visual emblems of the faith.

Through repeated depictions, Gandharan art reveals how Buddhism transitioned from the Buddha’s biography to the everyday devotion of a living community.