What was the significance of the construction of the stupas?

The stupas were considered as the holy places of the Buddhist religion. The construction of the stupas is said to be from pre-Buddhist times but the religious and cultural relevance of the stupas increased during the times of Buddhism. These places were important as the relics of Buddha or the things used by him were buried in the stupas. As the stupas contains the relics of the Buddha and his prominent disciples, the whole structure was started to be considered holy. Asoka was one of the greatest kings who led to the construction of a large number of stupas. He distributed the relics of the Buddha to a large number of stupas to make the place sacred. Some of the famous stupa sites like Sanchi, Bharhut and Sarnath became the most important religious sites for the Buddhist preachers.