Relic Stupa of Vaishali

The Relic Stupa of Vaishali was built by a Licchavi king to hold relics of the Buddha. Dated to around the 5th century BCE, it is considered the earliest stupa known from archaeology, and since 2010 it has been on UNESCO's tentative list among India's Silk Road sites. Sri Lankan sources record that the Licchavis of Vaishali, their capital, were among those given a share of the Buddha's cremated remains.

Uncovered in 1958, the stupa has a clay core enlarged several times in brick; the first structure was 26 feet across at the base, and later phases added four platforms facing the cardinal directions. The relics had been taken out at some later date, which fits accounts of Ashoka redistributing them. The casket, holding ashy earth, gold leaf, glass beads, a conch and a punch-marked coin, has been at Patna Museum since 1972. Waterlogging is a threat to the site.