stupa

noun stu·pa \ ˈstü-pə \

Updated on: 14 Mar 2018

Definition of stupa

: a usually dome-shaped structure (such as a mound) serving as a Buddhist shrine

Recent Examples of stupa from the Web

The Archaeological Survey of India is tasked with conserving and protecting the country’s historical treasures, such as these Buddhist temples and stupas in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh.

— vidhi doshi, Washington Post, "India is on the hunt for 24 ‘untraceable’ historical treasures," 13 Jan. 2018
Bi Ma places some pine sprigs in the fireplace of a stupa—a Buddhist shrine—and sets them alight.

— jason motlagh, Marie Claire, "Kingdom of Women," 18 Jan. 2018
And within just one valley, the team found a variety of religious buildings, including Buddhist stupas, Zoroastrian fire temples, and Hellenistic sanctuaries with both Greek and Aramaic characters written on stone slabs.

— andrew lawler, Science | AAAS, "Spy satellites are revealing Afghanistan’s lost empires," 13 Dec. 2017
Monks, nuns and laypeople go through their daily practices on a day during the December full moon festival at the Ruwanwelisaya stupa in the town of Anuradhapura.

— roger catlin, Smithsonian, "New Sackler Buddhist Exhibition Doubles the Immersive Experiences," 4 Oct. 2017
And there are new additions to the collection on view for the first time such as a bell from Indonesia in the shape of a stupa.

— roger catlin, Smithsonian, "New Sackler Buddhist Exhibition Doubles the Immersive Experiences," 4 Oct. 2017
Its soaring, gilded stupa gleams on a ridge overlooking a city of greenery and watery expanses which has retained links to the British colonial past that Kipling chronicled.

— denis d. gray, The Denver Post, "Mawlamyine exudes post-colonial charm, Buddhist shrines and few tourists," 9 Mar. 2017
In Myanmar, people performed exercises near the Shwedagon pagoda, the landmark Buddhist stupa in Yangon.

— Washington Post, "Yoga practitioners pause to stretch and pose for int’l event," 21 June 2017
With its sweeping view of the Shwedagon Pagoda, a glittering golden stupa and Myanmar’s top cultural attraction, the Esperado Lake View Hotel should be in an enviable spot.

— philip heijmans, Bloomberg.com, "Myanmar's Tourism Destination Dreams Fade Amid Empty Hotels," 19 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stupa.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.