Indian Sculpture and Painting, Illustrated by Typical Masterpieces, with an Explanation of their Motives and Ideals c8.20

c8.20

The practice of circumambulating a sacred shrine, one of the oldest of religious observances, gave rise to the decoration of the pilgrims' procession-paths with painted and sculptured representatives of sacred symbols and images, or illustrations of religious history and dogma. The painted decoration was generally the work of the Buddhist monks; the sculptures and images in the precious metals were often the gifts of kings or other wealthy devotees.