Dharmarajika Stupa

PAKISTAN, Punjab, Taxila

The stupa is located in the ruins of Taxila. It is said that the stupa was built during the 3rd century BCE by King Asoka (reigned circa 269–232 BCE) to enshrine a relic of the Buddha. The temple adjoining the stupa is thought to have been built later, between the 2nd and 5th centuries. In the 7th century, when Xuanzang visited the place to pay his respects, it was already in ruins. The Dharmarajika site was discovered in the 19th century. During the early 1910s, the British archaeologist John Marshall excavated the ruins and discovered a soapstone casket, which contained a gold reliquary and a silver scroll. Inscribed in Kharosthi, the silver scroll recorded in detail the construction of the stupa. As part of Taxila, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.
The stone stupa is constructed in the shape of an inverted bowl, with a present height of approximately 13.5 m. There are steps on the double-layer base platform. The walls are decorated with pilasters and reliefs of Buddha niches. Further decorations, such as apsaras and vine motifs, are still visible. Inside the stupa there is a clay statue of a seated Buddha. The stupa is surrounded by small shrines. Around the stupa there are a number of walls and foundations, which are ruins of the temple that once stood on the site.