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The elemental power of Buddhist architecture is superbly conveyed in this depiction on a panel from an offering platform at the Dhulikatta stūpa. The building blacks represented—basement, drum, and dame, with umbrellas (chattras) radiating from the enclosure (harmikā) at the summit—have a simplicity of form that emphasizes the singular purpose of the stūpa, to house the relics. Traces of plaster with pigment in concealed recesses alert us to the colorful appearance of these stūpas when under active worship. All surfaces were likely lime-plastered and brightly polychromed, giving the ancient Buddhist architecture a very different appearance to that seen today.