The stupa, meaning "knot of hair" in Sanskrit, is an essential element of Buddhist architecture found in virtually every Buddhist temple and monastery.

The earliest stupas served as burial monuments containing the remains of the Buddha or other important Buddhist figures. The bodies of several Dalai Lamas rest within stupas in the Potala Palace in Tibet. Eight significant stupas in Buddhist religion were also erected at eight different locations to commemorate the major events in the Buddha's life; for example at Lumbini (his birthplace), Bodh Gaya (where he attained enlightenment after forty-nine years of meditation beneath the Bodhi tree), Kushinagara (where he attained nirvana), and Sarnath (where he delivered his first teaching to his disciples).

Modern stupas are rarely constructed as commemorative monuments anymore, but rather as symbols of devotion. They contain sacred texts and idols rather than human remains.

Stupas exist in different forms, but their general structure is universal. The crown of the stupa represents the sun, moon, and lotus flower, surmounting a tall conical spire representing the royal parasol of Buddhist symbolism. The main body of the stupa houses relics and sacred objects. Tibetan stupas typically feature a base with two sets of four and ten steps, representing the four positive states of mind (love, compassion, joy, and serenity), and the ten stages in the development of a Bodhisattva.