For more than two millennia Buddhism shaped the cultures of
Central, South, Southeast, and East Asia. From ancient Bactria and
Gandhara to Tibet, Mongolia, and Japan, from Sri Lanka and Myanmar
to Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, each territory had its own
peculiar way of developing representations of the Buddha, the
Bodhisattvas, and a variety of guardian deities and saints. Of
particular importance is the representation of the Buddha and his
teachings in an iconic form in the shape of an impassable building.
Called Stupa in Sanskrit, Caitya in Nepali, Cibha in Newari, and
Choerten in Tibetan, these structures - whether imposing or in
miniature size - not only characterise the urban space of the
Newars in the Kathmandu Valley. They also mark the access to
Tibetan villages in northern Nepal, line the trails across high
passes, and stud topographically prominent places. By their
thousands, they transform wilderness into a landscape that promises
shelter, protection, and well-being. Often, these structures are
small, made up of two or three cubes in diminishing size, placed on
top of one another. Of particular importance are the Triple
Protectors, the Rigsum Goenpo, in the shape of three multiple
cubes, lined up to guard the settlements against calamities such as
floods, landslides, pests, and plagues. To ensure their agency,
their colours (black, white, red) are annually renewed. Single
cubes may also signal their significance as repositories of relics
or the ashes of the departed. 584 maps, architectural drawings, and
photographs, produced from 1970 to 2008, document the rich cultural
heritage of the Tibetan and Tamang enclaves along the range of the
high Himalaya.
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