Pagodas ?

[Sukotto]

What is the significance of Pagodas in Buddhism?

 

[nice gaijin]

from wikipedia:

The modern pagoda is an evolution of the Indian stupa, a tomb-like structure where sacred relics could be kept safe and venerated. The architectural structure of the stupa has spread across Asia, taking on many diverse forms as details specific to different regions are incorporated into the overall design. It was spread to China and the Asian region by Araniko, a Nepali architect in the early 13th century for Kublai Khan.

Pagodas attract lightning strikes because of their height. This tendency may have played a role in their perception as spiritually charged places. Many pagodas have an antenna at the top of the structure known as a finial. This antenna is designed in such a way as to have symbolic meaning within Buddhism; for example, it may include designs representing a lotus. The finial also functions as a lightning rod, and thus helps to both attract lightning and protect the pagoda from lightning damage.

So apparently, it's not a structure unique to Buddhism, but it has been adopted by several religions to act as a marker for a religious site. It seems that any particular significance to Buddhist teachings would be in the details, rather than the architecture.

 

[Sukotto]

Buddhism comes from India so it wouldn't necessarily be Hindu also.
But it is of many different religions?

Would a Pagoda be a marker of where a temple is?
One could see it from afar over the tree line and know they are near.

Or just a place to store sacred relics that just happens to be in the shape it is? Focusing on the shape and architecture being too superficial for Buddhist teaching?




I am aware that Burma(Myanmar) is known as the land of pagodas and have viewed many pictures of some online, so I thought maybe there was some great significance to them. (Burma[Myanmar] also has the world's largest pagoda)

 

[Haivart]

I'll have to search for it, but there is a connection between the shape of the stupa/pagoda and the lignam of Lord Shiva.