Indian Art: A History of Indian Art from the Earliest Times up to the Third Century A.D. c12.s2.t1.12

c12.s2.t1.12

The religious formation of the Stūpa was a much more complex affair for which complete evidence is available in the Bharhut sculptures. Here we find a number of strands forming an organic whole which stands out as the complete symbol of the religious faith of a whole community integrated by common beliers traditionally handed down from the ancient-most times and accepted in simple faith A list of these religious cults as given in Jaina and Buddhist literature includes the following :—Rukkha maha, Giri maha Nadī maha, Sāgara maha, Chaitya maha, Thūpa maha, Suruja maha, Chanda maha, Yakkha maha, Nāga maha, Bhūta maha, Vishṇu maha, Skanda maha, Brahma maha, Dhanur maha, Diśā maha, Koṭṭakiriyā maha and many other names under the title of Deva-vratas, etc.