Buddhist architecture

It is argued that stylistic aspects seen on Buddhist architecture like the stupa may have been influenced by shikharas seen on Hindu temple architecture, a stylistic element which has evolved to pagodas which are seen throughout Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam.^[3][4]

A characteristic new development at Buddhist religious sites was the stupa. Stupas were originally more sculpture than building, essentially markers of some holy site or commemorating a holy man who lived there. Later forms are more elaborate and also in many cases refer back to the Mount Meru model.

One of the earliest Buddhist sites still in existence is at

As with Buddhist art, architecture followed the spread of Buddhism throughout south and east Asia and it was the early Indian models that served as a first reference point, even though Buddhism virtually disappeared from India itself in the 10th century.

Decoration of Buddhist sites became steadily more elaborate through the last two centuries BCE, with the introduction of tablets and friezes, including human figures, particularly on stupas. However, the Buddha was not represented in human form until the 1st century CE. Instead, aniconic symbols were used. This is treated in more detail in Buddhist art, Aniconic phase. It influenced the development of temples, which eventually became a backdrop for Buddha images in most cases.

As Buddhism spread, Buddhist architecture diverged in style, reflecting the similar trends in Buddhist art. Building form was also influenced to some extent by the different forms of Buddhism in the northern countries, practising Mahayana Buddhism in the main and in the south where Theravada Buddhism prevailed.

When Buddhism came to China, Buddhist architecture came along with it.  There were many monasteries built, equaling about 45,000. These monasteries were filled with examples of Buddhist architecture, and because of this, they hold a very prominent place in Chinese architecture. One of the earliest surviving example is the brick pagoda at the Songyue Monastery in Dengfeng County.

Buddhism and Hinduism reached the Indonesian archipelago in the early first millennia. The oldest surviving temple structure in Java is Batujaya temples in Karawang, West Java, dated as early as 5th century.^[5] The temple was a Buddhist sites, as evidence of the discovered Buddhist votive tablets, and the brick stupa structure.

The apogee of ancient Indonesian Buddhist art and architecture was the era of Javanese

In

Thai Buddhist temples usually contains golden

After

Stylistically, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines share common characteristics under the Japanese philosophy of Shinbutsu-shūgō (神仏習合). However during the Meiji Restoration, Emperor Meiji established Shinbutsu bunri (神仏分離) which was a separation of the native Japanese religion of Shinto from Buddhism.^[10] It was common for a Buddhist temple to be built inside or next to a shrine, or for a shrine to include Buddhist sub-temples. If a shrine housed a Buddhist temple, it was called a jingū-ji (神宮寺, lit. shrine temple). Analogously, temples all over Japan used to adopt tutelary kami (chinju (鎮守/鎮主) After the forcible separation of temples and shrines ordered by the new government, the connection between the two religions was officially severed, however is culturally unpopular with Shinbutsu-shūgō being in practice and is still visible today.^[10]

Many of the Buddhist temples in Hawaii have an architectural style which is specific to the islands. Japanese immigrants who migrated to Hawaii did not have access to the same materials they would have in Japan, and the land structure called for different building techniques. Because these Japanese immigrants had all the knowledge of Buddhism and were exceptional craftsmen, these temples ended up being a good personification of their religion.^{[clarification needed]}

There are 5 styles of architecture that can be found in the Buddhist temples of Hawaii. The styles vary because of the time periods they were used in.^[11]

This was the earliest form of Buddhist temples in Hawaii. They took a larger plantation house and converted them into places of worship by adding things like an altar or shrines. This style offered an inexpensive way to build temples, and using residential space made the worshipers feel more connected. This style dropped in popularity during the 20th century.^[11]

This style originated when Japanese immigrants with the existing skill of building temples and shrines moved to Hawaii. These were made to be similar to the original Japanese temples, but certain aspects had to be changed because of lesser access to materials and tools. Characteristics of this style are beam and post structure, elevated floors, and hip-and-gable roofs. The interiors had the same structure as their original counterparts in Japan.^[11]

This style originated with Japanese immigrants who did not have the greatest shrine and temple building skills. These immigrants still wanted the temples to have their original feel, but lacked the skill to do it, so the building techniques they used were simplified. Some characteristics of this style are straight hip-and-gable roofs, as opposed to the long, sloping ones, a separate social hall, and covered entryway. These temples doubled as community centers, and were similar in style to western churches.^[11]

This style is unique to Hawaii, originating from Pan-Asian Buddhism, which was a combination of Indian, Japanese, and Western Buddhism. When the first temple of this style was built, the architects that were hired had no previous experience in Buddhist architecture. The style was popular up until the 1960s. It was one of the most popular styles of Buddhist architecture in Hawaii; smaller temples that could not afford to hire architects to do this to their temple would take certain aspects of this style and apply it to their temple. The interiors of these temples are very similar to the original temples in Japan.^[11]

This style is also very similar to western churches. It became popular in the 1960s. These temples are usually made of concrete, and the roof styles vary unlike the other styles of temples. The subcategories of this style are residential, warehouse, church, and Japanesque. Like the other styles, while the exterior is dramatically different, the interior mostly remained similar to the temples in Japan.^[11]

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  Mahabodhi temple, Gaya
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  Jetavanaramaya stupa is an example of brick-clad Buddhist architecture in Sri Lanka
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  Thikse Monastery is the largest gompa in Ladakh, built in the 1500s
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  Tawang Monastery in Arunachal Pradesh, was built in the 1600s, is the largest monastery in India and second largest in the world after the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet
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  Changchub Dorje, 12th Karmapa Lama in the mid-1700s^[12]
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  The Sewu temple compound, second largest Buddhist temple complex in Indonesia
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  The Rinpung Dzong follows a distinctive type of fortress architecture found in the former and present Buddhist kingdoms of the Himalayas, most notably Bhutan
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  The Great Stupa in

  Sanchi, India is considered a cornerstone of Buddhist architecture
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  Migjid Janraisig), Gandantegchinlen Monastery

  . Tallest indoor statue in the world, 26.5-meter-high, 1996 rebuilt, (1913)
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  Reclining Buddha statue, this is the largest Buddha statue in Indonesia and Southeast Asia
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  Kalasan, 8th-century Buddhist temple in Java island
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  Vatadage Temple, in Polonnaruwa, is a uniquely Sri Lankan circular shrine enclosing a small dagoba. The vatadage has a three-tiered conical roof, spanning a height of 40–50 feet, without a center post, and supported by pillars of diminishing height
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  The Mani Hall of the Longxing Temple, Hebei, China.
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  Shaolin Monastery complex and bell tower, Mount Song, Henan, China.
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  Zhengding, Hebei, China.

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  Pagoda of

  Nara
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  Ajanta Caves cave with chaitya
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  Candi Gumpung, a Buddhist temple at Muaro Jambi of Malayu Kingdom.
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  Plaosan temple
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  Minar-i Chakri in 1836, Afghanistan
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  A painting by G.B. Hooijer (c. 1916–1919) reconstructing the scene of Borobudur during its heyday
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  Stupa near Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet,
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  Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
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  Great Stupa at Drala Mountain Center, United States
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  Nan Hua Main Temple, South Africa
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  Golden Temple of Shakyamuni Buddha, Kalmykia, Russian Federation
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  The five-tiered Peace Pagoda Japantown, San Francisco
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  The Great Drigung Kagyud Lotus Stupa in Lumbini, Nepal
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  Paro Taktsang, Paro, Bhutan

• Burmese pagoda
• Candi of Indonesia
• Cetiya
• Chaitya
• Ho trai
• Kyaung
• List of Buddhist temples
• Ordination hall
• Pagoda festival
• Relics associated with Buddha
• Sala kan parian
• Stupa
• Thai temple art and architecture
• Vihāra
• Wat