It is generally agreed that it must have been built about 850 A.D., but obviously the construction lasted a considerable time and there are indications that the architects altered their original plan.  The unknown founder must have been a powerful and prosperous king for no one else could have commanded the necessary labour.  The stupa shows no sign of Brahmanic influence.  It is purely Buddhist and built for purposes of edification.  The worshippers performed pradakshina by walking round the galleries, one after the other, and as they did so had an opportunity of inspecting some 2000 reliefs depicting the previous births of Sakyamuni, his life on earth and finally the mysteries of Mahayanist theology.  As in Indian pilgrim cities, temple guides were probably ready to explain the pictures.

The selection of reliefs is not due to the artists’ fancy but aims at illustrating certain works.  Thus the scenes of the Buddha’s life reproduce in stone the story of the Lalita Vistara[410] and the Jataka pictures are based on the Divyavadana.  It is interesting to find that both these works are connected with the school of the Mulasarvastivadins, which according to I-Ching was the form of Buddhism prevalent in the archipelago.  In the third gallery the figure of Maitreya is prominent and often seems to be explaining something to a personage who accompanies him.  As Maitreya is said to have revealed five important scriptures to Asanga, and as there is a tradition that the east of Asia was evangelized by the disciples of Asanga or Vasubandhu, it is possible that the delivery and progress of Maitreya’s revelation is here depicted.  The fourth gallery seems to deal with the five superhuman Buddhas,[411] their paradises and other supra-mundane matters, but the key to this series of sculptures has not yet been found.  It is probable that the highest storey proved to be too heavy in its original form and that the central dagoba had to be reduced lest it should break the substructure.  But it is not known what image or relic was preserved in this dagoba.  Possibly it was dedicated to Vairocana who was regarded as the Supreme Being and All-God by some Javanese Buddhists.[412]

The creed here depicted in stone seems to be a form of Mahayanism.  Sakyamuni is abundantly honoured but there is no representation of his death.  This may be because the Lalita Vistara treats only of his early career, but still the omission is noteworthy.  In spite of the importance of Sakyamuni, a considerable if mysterious part is played by the five superhuman Buddhas, and several Bodhisattvas, especially Maitreya, Avalokita and Manjusri.  In the celestial scenes we find numerous Bodhisattvas both male and female, yet the figures are hardly Tantric and there is no sign that any of the personages are Brahmanic deities.