Decoration on Dome

Kaunghmudaw Paya, Sagaing

At the base of the dome, there are niches with statues of the Buddha. Rainspouts interrupt the lozenge band above the niches.

The gold "lozenges" (bands of tongue-shaped decorations) represent lotus petals; the gold decorations at the top of the photo, that are shaped like upside-down hearts, represent pipal leaves.

The lotus symbolizes spiritual purity, since the stem that bears its beautiful flower grows up out of the mud. Buddha and the Hindu gods are usually shown in art as sitting, or standing, on lotus thrones. The pipal leaf symbolizes Buddha's enlightenment, which he attained while meditating underneath a pipal tree.

Finally, since the stupa itself represents Buddha's body, the whole construction can be taken as an abstract representation of the enlightened Buddha, sitting on a lotus throne and meditating underneath the tree.