Buddhist domes were designed as machines for walking meditation

The Great Stupa at Sanchi is a massive hemispherical dome that serves as a physical map of the Buddhist universe. Built in the 3rd century BC by Emperor Ashoka, the structure is essentially a giant solid mound of brick and stone. Because the interior is inaccessible, the architecture dictates a specific movement: the 'pradakshina,' or ritual circumambulation. Devotees enter through ornate gateways and walk in a clockwise circle, following a path that mimics the movement of the sun across the sky.