The stupa, or chedi as it is known in Thai,is a special architectural structure commonly found in most thai buddhist temple compounds.The origins of the chedi go back to lndia and the beginnings of buddhism in the sixth century BC.According to religious teachings,when the Bddha 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 astupa, a dome-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 site where they planned to teach.