What does the 'Harmika' represent in the Buddhist Stupa?

The correct answer is Abode of the gods.Key Points 

• ‘Harmika’, a balcony-like structure that represented the abode of God was part of Buddhist architecture.
• The Harmika is inspired by a square railing or fence that surrounded the mound of dirt, marking it as a sacred burial site.
• The Great Stupa at Sanchi, in central India, is one of the earliest stupas, it served as an architectural prototype for all others that followed.
• The world-famous stupa first constructed by the 3rd-century-BCE Mauryan ruler Ashoka in brick (the same material as those of Sri Lanka) was later expanded to twice its original size in stone.

Additional Information

Stupas: The Buddhist Architecture

• Stupas are burial mounds. It is the conventional representation of a funeral cumulus in which relics and ashes of the dead were kept.

  

• Architecture:
  • Stupas consist of a cylindrical drum with a circular anda and a harmika and a chhatra on the top of it.

• Point To Remember: Anda: Hemispherical mound symbolizes the mound of dirt used to cover Buddha’s remains. Harmika: Square railing on top of the mound. Chhatra: Central pillar supporting a triple umbrella formation.

• The top part of architecture is called ‘Shikhara’. 
• Objects of worship are called ‘Yashtis’. 

The Sanchi Stupa

• The Sanchi Stupa was built in the second century BCE and was discovered in 1888.
  • It is one of the most important stupas in India. Its structural features are explained below:
  • The stupa (a Sanskrit word meaning a heap) originated as a simple semi-circular mound of earth, later called the anda.
  • Above the anda, was a harmika which was a balcony-like structure that represented the Abode of the Gods.
  • Arising from the harmika, was a mast called yashti.
  • It was surrounded by an umbrella.
  • Around the mound, there was a railing that separated the sacred space from the outer world.
  • There were stone railings and the gateways which had richly card and installed at the four cardinal points. 
  • The elevation of it provided a vertical perspective.