Amaravati: Footprints of the Buddha

INDIA, Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati; Satavahana period

These footprints were found at Amaravati. The footprints are carved in relief, whereas, the decorations around them are incised. The wheel on the feet is described in the Madhyama Agama as “a perfect thousand-spoked Dharma wheel.” It is shaped like a chariot wheel with a large hub at the center. The balls of the feet are carved with the auspicious swastika while the heels show the triratna, the three-jewel symbol. The toes are even in length, another of the Thirty-Two Marks of Excellence of a Buddha. The top of the relief features a pair of makara, hybrid water monsters, and from their mouths sprout lotus tendril. The rest of the relief is decorated with motifs of flowers or fruit.