Sultan, Terrance, Brandon, William

Professor Watson
ARC 2031 - Pillars and Stupas
October 4, 2022

The Traveler and the Monk

Traveler: Wise monk, what is this protrusion from the ground that resembles a pillar?
Monk: This, my friend, is a pillar; bearing the edicts of Ashoka. Ashoka is the ruler of the great
Maurya Empire and his edicts represent his authority over the land. It’s made from fine polished
stone and is crowned by a crouching lion; resting on top of the capital.
Traveler: What does this mean?
Monk: Unlike pillars you may have seen in Greece and other nations, these standalone pillars
feature inscriptions on pillars and remind us of our roles in society.
Traveler: Why do I even care?
Monk: Wow, traveler, you’re full of questions. But these pillars are representative of Ashoka’s
power and his dominance upon the land you’re about to enter. It’s also representative of the
prevalence of spirituality since these pillars have a multitude of symbolism, as seen with the
horizontal forms relating to the worldly axis, that calls back to our spirituality and ethicality.
Traveler: How about this large, dome-like, stone thing?
Monk: That is a stupa, a mound made of rubble and earth. It is a religious site for us Buddhists
here in our kingdom. The proficiency of our stonework comes from our leader, Ashoka’s
knowledge of architecture from other nations and applying his learnings to our glorious empire.
Traveler: What does this mean?
Monk: These mounds serve as a main space for our Buddhist followers. The verdica is an
enclosing fence that indicates its sacredness. The harmica is the square railing on top; This
railing houses the chatra, a 3-tiered umbrella form that symbolizes the famous bodhi tree Buddha
achieved enlightenment under.
Traveler: Why do I even care?
Monk: Well, as I mentioned already, this is a religious site, a space we treasure dearly. Maybe
because of you not being a Buddhist, you do care as much as I do, but like your sacred center,
this is mine. We monks settle around this space in viharas, or small monasteries, and live our life
based on our beliefs, with the stupa as the center of our beliefs. The stupa to us is the church to
the west.