stupa

[ stoo-puh ]

noun

1. a monumental pile of earth or other material, in memory of Buddha or a Buddhist saint, and commemorating some event or marking a sacred spot.

stupa

/ ˈstuːpə /

noun

1. a domed edifice housing Buddhist or Jain relics Also calledtope

Word History and Origins

Origin of stupa¹

First recorded in 1875–80, stupa is from the Sanskrit word stūpa

Word History and Origins

Origin of stupa¹

C19: from Sanskrit: dome

Example Sentences

He has also designed an artificial spring in the shape of an ice stupa - a hemispherical structure common in Buddhist cultures - that stores downstream water for use during late spring when farmers need water.

From BBC

"I want to use ice stupas as much to sensitise the world about the need for a change in behaviour, as I want to use it to provide water for us."

From BBC

Kardze prefecture in Sichuan is a land of craggy mountains, rushing rivers, grazing black-haired yak and glittering pagodas and stupas.

From Seattle Times

One of El Teatro’s interior walls is a kind of “Zoot Suit” stupa.

From Los Angeles Times

“I pray day and night and light candles at Boudhanath stupa for his well-being when he remains away from home,” his wife, Lakpa Jangmu, said, referring to a Buddhist shrine in Kathmandu.

From New York Times