Sarira Pagoda of Bulguksa Temple, Gyeongju

Basic information

Designation

Treasure No.61

Category

Sites & Pagodas

Era

고려시대

Designated year

1963

Location

경주시, 경상북도— 경상북도 경주시 불국로 385(진현동, 불국사)

Coordinates

35.790610, 129.331621

This stupa is housed in a protective building at the back of Bulguksa Temple's lecture hall. It is said that the stupa contains either the sarira of eight Buddhist Monks or the sarira of a queen who entered the Buddhist monkhood upon the death of her husband, King Heongang. Consisting of pedestal, main body and ornamental capstone, this stupa resembles a stone lantern. The pedestal is composed of two semi-circular stones - each carved with a lotus flower design on its octagonal ground stone - that are connected with a drum-shaped pillar bearing a vivid cloud design. The main body of the stupa is cylindrical, and is carved with four-pillar patterns decorated with flower designs. The four sides divided by the pole patterns have niches embossed with images of Buddha and bodhisattvas. The roof has twelve angles on the edges of the eaves but the top of the roof is hexagonal. The roof slopes gently; and only part of the finial remains. The profoundly beautiful style and delicate workmanship of the stupa indicate that it was made in the early Goryeo Dynasty while retaining certain features of the Unified Silla style. In 1905, the stupa was taken out of Korea to Ueno Onshi Park in Tokyo by the Japanese, and was returned to Korea in 1933.

Location