The early Stupa at Sanchi and Bharhut were built in the second century BCE. The main features of these two stupas are mentioned below:

a. These were plain except for the stone railings which resembled a bamboo or wooden fence.

b. The gateways of these stupas were richly carved and installed at the four Cardinal Points.

c. The worshippers entered through the Eastern Gateway and walked around the Mound in a clockwise direction keeping the Mound on the right. This was done to imitate the sun's course through the sky.

d. The mound of these stupas was later elaborately carved with niches and sculptures like Amravati and ShahJi ki Dheri in Peshawar.

e. An elevation of the Great Stupa of Sanchi provided a vertical perspective.