[3] It is the earliest circular Buddhist shrine and therefore, Bairat temple is an important marker of the architecture of India.

[4] It is situated in the ancient region of Matsya Janpad, a centre of vedic sacrifices in early literary and epigraphic references.

The significant structures at the site of Bairat include a monastery and numerous remnants of Asokan pillars beside the circular temple.

[5] The monastery attached to the shrine is elaborate with cells being large enough to accommodate just a single monk or nun.

The remarkable presence of structures like the Bairat temple can be linked to increasing popularity of Buddhism at the time.

Mauryan king Asoka's support and interest led to extraordinary development of Buddhist art.

[3] The circular temple was located inside a rectangular enclosure wall, and had an outer diameter of 5.6 meters.

the Vinaya-Samukasa ("The Exaltation of Discipline"), the Aliya-vasas ("The Ideal Mode of Life"), the Anagata-bhayas ("Fears to Come"), the Muni-gathas ("The Songs of the Hermit"), the Moneya-Suta ("Discourse on the Hermit Life"), the Upatisa-pasina ("The Questions of Upatishya"), and the Laghulovada ("The Sermon to Rahula") which was spoken by the blessed Buddha concerning falsehood, — I desire, Sirs, that many groups of monks and (many) nuns may repeatedly listen to these expositions of the Dharma and may reflect (on them).

But the centre must have declined in later period and a change in situation is recorded in the travelogue of Hieun-tsang who wrote that the popularity of Buddhism in Bairat was not what he had imagined it to be.

Ashoka also built the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya circa 250 BCE, also a circular structure, in order to protect the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha had found enlightenment.

Representations of this early temple structure are found on a 100 BCE relief sculpted on the railing of the stupa at Bhārhut, as well as in Sanchi.

[12] From that period the Diamond throne remains, an almost intact slab of sandstone decorated with reliefs, which Ashoka had established at the foot of the Bodhi tree.

[17] It was an apsidal temple built of timber on top of a high rectangular stone platform, 26.52x14x3.35 metres, with two flights of stairs to the east and the west.