Buddhist stūpas, found throughout the Indian subcontinent, are significant attractions in the pilgrimage, tourist, and cultural landscape of South Asia. Once symbols of the religious and cultural prominence of Buddhism, stūpas subsequently also became a part of local or Hindu worship patterns.
Thematically organized, this volume presents an engaging yet detailed account of stūpas. It examines their 'discovery' in colonial India by travellers, archaeologists, Indologists, and ethnographers. Specific case studies on Sanchi, Bharhut, and Amaravati are supplemented by wider discussions on their religious symbolism, urban context, temporal and socio-economic basis, commercial ethos, and cultural and literary production.
Employing interdisciplinary approaches integrating archaeological, architectural, art-historical, and historical analyses, Buddhist Stupas in South Asia utilizes a wide range of source material. This volume is richly illustrated with photographs of panels, railing, and pillars as well as ground plans and maps that provide stimulating visual substantiation.
In the introduction, Jason Hawkes and Akira Shimada highlight the multiple perspectives and also provide a historical overview for the study of Buddhist stūpas. This book will be indispensable for scholars, researchers, and students of history, archaeology, religion, and epigraphy, particularly those interested in the growth and development of Buddhism.
