On the other hand, the stupa was also worshipped as a living being, and so each of its parts also represent the body of the Buddha, with the bottom part simulating the legs in sitting position; the dome representing the torso and shoulders; and the top representing the head. The cylindrical disks on a pole that tops the structure, in fact, resembles the umbrella that is held, usually by an attendant, over rulers and other important people when they are out in the sun.