Photographed by Benoy K Behl

Buddhist sculpture and paintings are some of the gentlest and most sublime art of mankind. These are also the oldest surviving art of the historic period in South Asia.
Emperor Ashok in the 3rd century BC was the first great royal patron of Buddhism.  The great stupas which he made, his commemorative pillars and sculptural railings are some of the most beautiful and oldest surviving architecture and art of the Indian subcontinent.
From the time of Ashok onwards, Buddhism spread not only to all corners of India but also all over Asia.  The religion and the art associated with it had a transforming effect on the countries which it reached and, till today, Buddhism flourishes in the continent.
In the 1st century AD, the Kushana King Kanishka gave royal patronage to Mahayana Buddhism and thereafter the Mahayana tradition, which later also developed into the Vajrayana tradition, became dominant in India.  In the meantime, Sri Lanka became the centre of the earlier Theravada order of Buddhism.  From here, the Buddhist tradition travelled to the countries of South-East Asia.

There was a marvellous network of great Buddhist universities which was spread across the Indian sub-continent in the First Millennium and the early part of the Second Millennium. These were some of the earliest and greatest universities of the world. The most famous ones were located at Nalanda, Vikramshila, Paharpur and Takshashila.
This photographic exhibition provides a perspective on the monuments and art heritage of Buddhism in South Asia.  It also takes us on a visual pilgrimage through the life of the Buddha: to the places of his birth, enlightenment, first sermon and final renunciation.
The photographer Benoy K Behl is a film-maker and art-historian who is known for his tireless and prolific output of work over the past 34 years. He has taken over 36,000 photographs of Asian monuments and art heritage, made a hundred documentaries on art history and his exhibitions have been warmly received in 28 countries around the world. He is known for his extremely sensitive photography of Buddhist art which provides a deep insight into the gentle and compassionate message of the art.