# Stupa — WHE Definition Discussion
**URL:** https://community.worldhistory.org/t/stupa-whe-definition-discussion/15825
**Category:** WHE Articles
**Created:** [September 1, 2020, 8:59am UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/stupa-whe-definition-discussion/15825 "2020-09-01T08:59:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JPryst](https://community.worldhistory.org/u/JPryst)
#### Post date: [September 1, 2020, 8:59am UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/stupa-whe-definition-discussion/15825/1 "2020-09-01T08:59:16Z")
A stupa (literally “heap” or “pile”) is a reliquary, a shrine containing the remains of a holy or sainted person and/or artifacts (relics) associated with them, originating in India prior to the 5th century BCE as tombs of holy men and evolving afterwards into sacred sites dedicated to the Buddha (l. c. 563 - c. 483 BCE).
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_This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at [https://www.worldhistory.org/stupa/](https://www.worldhistory.org/stupa/)._
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### Author:  [@JPryst](https://community.worldhistory.org/u/JPryst)
#### Post date: [July 30, 2026, 8:48am UTC](https://community.worldhistory.org/t/stupa-whe-definition-discussion/15825/2 "2026-07-30T08:48:10Z")