International Journal of History

Following Gautama Buddha's Mahaparinirvana, his disciples and followers began paying homage to his memory. Initially, they made no images or idols because the Buddha forbade idolatry. Over time, the followers of Gautama Buddha began building stupas and chaityas to express their reverence for him. These religious structures functioned as religious memorials, and after his death, his physical remains, known as Udesika, served as a memorial or object used by the Buddha. Eight stupas were built on the corporeal remains of the Buddha in Rajgirah, Vaishali, Kapilavastu, Allakappa, Ramagrama, Vethadipa Pava, and Kusinagar in addition to those built by the Brahman Drone and Maurya of Pipalavana. Sacrificed pots, holy trees, and the like were first worshiped. King Asoka is said to have erected 84000 stupas, Chinese travellers from the seventh century onwards have recorded in their travelogues about the umteen stupas and chaityas and viharas in Kashmir which are now in rubbish dust only a few of them are visible but they too are in ruins.