Consider the following statements about the architectural feature harmikā in a Buddhist stupa:
Statement I: The harmikā, placed at the summit of the stupa, represents the divine realm.
Statement II: The harmikā traditionally served as the chamber holding the Buddha’s sacred relics.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. Only Statement I is correct.
Statement I is correct. The harmikā is a small fence-like structure built on the top of a Buddhist stupa, symbolising the abode of the divine or the heavenly realm. It marks the point where the axis mundi, or the cosmic axis, connects the earthly world with the spiritual universe. This feature reflects early Buddhist cosmology and is commonly seen in stupas like Sanchi Stupa.
Statement II is incorrect. Buddha’s relics were not kept in the harmikā; instead, they were enshrined in the relic chamber located deep inside the stupa’s solid mound (anda or garbha). The harmikā served a symbolic, not a functional, purpose related to storage. Hence, only Statement I is correct.