The earliest pagodas were simple in design. They consisted of only square bottoms, round domes, and tall masts. As time went on, the pagodas' unique features grew either larger or more numerous. Those in India are chiefly pyramidal in shape and taper to an apex. They are elaborately adorned with carvings and sculptures.
Chinese pagodas are a stereotypical type with their tiled, upward curving roofs.
The various forms and styles of the pagodas adds flavor to the dharma at an institutional level. The meaning of pagodas, as well as their form, changes over time. A pagoda houses something of the real Buddha. However, the image is merely symbolic of his presence and helps people concentrate their thoughts. According to the theory of conditioned production these five or six phenomena are the Ultimate Reality.