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Rory Kemp
Kimberly Dyer
History 134
April 5th, 2015

Buddhist Art in India

Many people may be surprised to learn that Buddhism originated in India since it is much
more prevalent in other regions of South Asia. But with the start of Buddhism in the country and
with Asokas embrace of it under the Mauryan Empire, some very unique and historical Buddhist
art was created. Buddhist art in India shows us the progression of Indian art as well as some
historical details of Buddhas life and death.
After spending the later majority of his life preaching Buddhist ideals about achieving
nirvana, Buddha died and his body was cremated, a customary practice in India. This is when
and where the earliest forms of Buddhist art began. The article Buddhism and Buddhist Art on
The Metropolitan Museum of Arts page explains that the cremated relics of the Buddha were
divided into several portions and placed in relic caskets that were interred within large
hemispherical mounds known as stupas. Such stupas constitute the central monument of
Buddhist monastic complexes. The article goes on to explain that these stupas were decorated

by artists with elaborate railings, gateways, and relief sculptures. So these stupas combined both
Indian architecture and Indian art to honor the Buddha.
During the 5th century through 1st century BCE, the Buddha was never depicted in human
form, but instead various icons and symbols were sculpted to represent his attributes. According
to the article Buddhist Art, a few of these symbols and their meanings include The Wheel of
law (dharmacakra), symbol of the Four Noble Truths expressed by the Buddha. The Bodhi tree,
the tree where the Buddha reached enlightenment. It has some antecedent in fertility cults and
representations of the tree of life. The Buddha footprint (skt. Buddhapada Buddha feet) to
represent the impact of the teachings of the Buddha on the world. So each of these symbols
represents a different, important aspect of the Buddhas life as well as his teachings, preserving
them for ages. This shows the creativity of Indian artists to metaphorically represent the Buddha
at first instead of only sculpting him directly.
In the first few centuries AD, the Buddha began being depicted in human form. A
possible explanation for this artistic change is offered by Denise Leidy in her book titled The Art
of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its History & Meaning. She explains figural depiction of the
Buddha is part of a broader, if not completely understood, change in Indian religious thought in
the first centuries of the common era. Human images of Hindu and Jain divinities also appeared
at the time, and it is possible that such representations reflected the growing importance of the
concept of bhakti, which stresses a personal relationship with a deity (31). With cultural
influences from Greek states following the partial conquest of India by Alexander the Great,
Indian art took certain aspects from Greek and Roman art like the wavy hair on sculptures as
well as its realism. This was the beginning of the Buddhist art most people know today, depicting
Buddha himself in realistic sculptures.
Later Buddhist art during the 4th through 6th centuries AD grew much more detailed and
ornate. The article Buddhist Art in India explains that The Buddhist images of Mathura and

Sarnath are some of the best specimens of Indian art, never equalled by any art creations of later
period. The delicate folds of the transparent garment adorning the Gupta figures were done in a
beautiful style. The profusely decorated halo is another special feature of the art of the Gupta
figure (Indira Ghandi National Centre for the Arts). This shows continued and furthered
dedication to Buddha long after his death.
As time progressed in India after the death of the Buddha, so did the art devoted to him.
From the stupas created for his remains to the extremely detailed sculptures of him, Indian art
can tell us much about his story and teachings as well as the progression of Indian culture.
Works Cited
Banerjee, Rahda. Buddhist Art in India. Indira Ghandi National Centre for the Arts. N.D. Web.
5 Apr. 2015.
This article is reputable because it comes from a page on the Indira Ghandi National
Centre for the Arts page and it briefly describes the characteristics of each stage of
Buddhist art.
Buddhist Art. Religion Facts. Religion Facts, 17 Mar. 2004. Web. 5 Apr. 2015.
This article is reputable because it lists four sources at the bottom, three of which are
printed books. It discusses the stages of Buddhist art as well as the differences in the art
in the various regions that it was created.
Dehejia, Vidya. "Buddhism and Buddhist Art". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/budd/hd_budd.htm (February 2007). Web. Apr 5.
2015.
This article is on The Metropolitan Museum of Arts page and provides a brief timeline of
the Buddhas life and the progression of Buddhist art afterwards.

Leidy, Denise. The Art of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its History & Meaning. Boston:
Shambhala Publications, Inc, 2008. Print.
This book provides an in depth explanation of the history of Buddhist art as well as
explanations behind its various changes from one stage to another.