A History of Fine Art in India and Ceylon, from the Earliest Times to the Present Day c7.52

c7.52

The most prominent external feature of the Buddhist cult being the veneration of relics, multitudes of domed cupolas (variously called *stūpas*, *dāgabas*, *chortens*, or ‘topes’) were erected for the safe custody of the relics, and surrounded with accessory structures upon which all the resources of art were lavished without stint. The monasteries and churches, whether excavated in the rock or structural, were equally ornate. All classes of Buddhist buildings have yielded a rich harvest of works of art.