The stupa, or chedi as it is know in Thai, is a special architectural structure commonly found in most Thai Buddhist temple compounds. The origins of the chedi go back to India and the beginnings of Buddhism in the sixth century BC. According to religious teachings, when the Buddha entered nirvana at the age of 80, his body was cremated. The ashes of the Buddha were divided amongst eight kings from different regions. Each king returned home and placed the ashes in a stupa, adome-shaped earthen burial mound. Such mounds soon became symbolic of the Buddha and his teachings. Legend has it that when monks first came to South-east Asia to spread the Buddhist faith, they would erect a chedi at the suet where they planned to teach. These evolved from simple earthen mounds to more elaborate solid structures built of laterite, brick and stucco. In Thailand, there are many styles of chedi, but most have a tiered base on which rests a dome, topped by a cube-like structure above which is a spire made of diminishing ring. When chedi are renovated, precious relics are often discovered inside. Religious objects made of gold, clay votive tablets and small images of the Buddha were placed inside by devotees. The largest chedi in Thailand is at Nakhon Pathom. While its origins reach back over 1000 years, the stupa has been reconstructed many time.