Conclusion

The above observation on the stupa architecture was collected by self from the Buddhist sites during the course of field works and from the published reports. Most of the minor smaller stupas and votive stupas reported from Lalitgiri, Langudi, Udayagiri and Ratnagiri were documented for the first time to give a full picture of the stupa building activity in Eastern Orissa from the beginning of the Buddhist architectural movement to the period when it completely stopped. This documentation not only gives an idea on the wide array of votive stupa reported in Orissa, but also about the nature of materials used, occurrences of stupas at a site depending upon its importance in space and time. It also gives an impression on the nature of artisan’s involved, economic status of the donor, influence of sectarian activity etc. of the contemporary society. The subsequent chapter will further elaborate on the stupa development in relation to the evolution in Buddhist pantheons and the belief system as inferred from the sculptural and iconographic representation on the stupas.

After discussing ‘The Stupa Architecture in Orissa’, and description of Mahayana and Vajrayana pantheons as seen on the minor structural and monolithic votive stupas of the excavated sites -Lalitagiri, Langudi,Udayagiri and Ratnagiri, in the next chapter -Chapter-5 ‘Buddhist Iconography as seen on the stupas’ a detailed study of the iconography of the Buddhist pantheons is done.