A is a type of pagoda, so called because it originally contained the sà «tra (or ). A Chinese variant of the Indian stupa, it was originally conceived as a cenotaph of Qian Liu, the King of Wuyue.
Usually made in stone and occasionally metal or wood, hà Âkyà Âintà  started to be made in their present form during the Kamakura period (1185âÂÂ1333). Like a gorintà Â, they are divided in five main sections called (from the bottom up) , or "inverted flower seat", , or base, , or body, , or umbrella, and , or pagoda finial. The tà Âshin is the most important part of the hà Âkyà Âintà  and is carved with a Sanskrit letter. The sà Ârin has the same shape as the tip of a five-storied pagoda. The kasa can also be called , or roof. It is decorated with four characteristic wings called or . Different structures exist, and the hà Âkyà Âintà  property of the Yatsushiro Municipal Museum in Kyushu for example is divided in just four parts, with no kaeribanaza.
The sà «tra contain all the pious deeds of a Tathagata Buddha, and the faithful believe that praying in front of a hà Âkyà Âintà  their sins will be canceled, during their lives they will be protected from disasters and after death they will go to heaven.
The hà Âkyà Âintà  tradition in Japan is old and is believed to have begun during the Asuka period (550âÂÂ710 CE). They used to be made of wood and started to be made in stone only during the Kamakura period. It is also during this period that they started to be used also as tombstones and cenotaphs.