The art of making stupas first arrived in India with the emergence of Buddhism. The first emperor to indulge into the construction of stupas was Ashoka. Stupas are funeral mounds and were made by following the idiom of Buddhist Indian sculpture. However it would be wrong to deduce that stupas are part of only Buddhsit art. These were also to be found in the Jain architecture. Indian stupa sculpture is relatively plainer than the other schools of sculptures that have influenced India for years.

Indian stupa sculpture introduced new designs in the sub continent. As far as Buddhism is concerned the stupas were used to bury the relics of Buddhist monks and teachers. The structure of the stupa stands in the form of a hemispherical dome made of stone. These appeared similar to the wooden railings. The Sanchi Stupa is one of the best examples of Indian stupa sculpture and architecture.

Some of the finest Indian stupa sculptures are as follows:

Sculpture of Stupas	Sculpture of Sanchi Stupa	Sculpture of Amaravati Stupa
Sculpture of Bharhut Stupa	Sculpture of Jaggapetta Stupa	Sculpture of Dhameka Stupa (Sarnath)