A Buddhist shrine or temple, especially a dome-shaped structure that houses sacred relics, commonly found in South Asian countries like Sri Lanka and India.
From Sanskrit 'dhatu-garbha' (literally 'relic womb' or 'relic chamber'), which traveled through Pali and Portuguese into English. The word reflects the structure's original purpose of safely housing and honoring Buddhist relics.
Dagobas are architectural marvels—some of the oldest ones in Sri Lanka date back over 2,000 years and contain hair or bone fragments of Buddha himself, making them among the world's oldest continuously honored religious structures.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.