7. Stupas

We have seen that Buddhist ideas and practices emerged out of a process of dialogue with other traditions – including those of the Brahmanas, Jainas and several others, not all of whose ideas and practices were preserved in texts. Some of these interactions can be seen in the ways in which sacred places came to be identified. From earliest times, people tended to regard certain places as sacred. These included sites with special trees or unique rocks, or sites of awe- inspiring natural beauty. These sites, with small shrines attached to them, were sometimes described as chaityas . Buddhist literature mentions several chaityas . It also describes places associated with the Chaitya may also have been derived from the word chita, meaning a funeral pyre, and by extension a funerary mound. Map