The soles of the feet of the recumbent Buddha are painted in a traditional manner, with circular lotus designs. The Buddhapāda (Buddha's footprint, i.e., the feet sculpted in low relief on stone) were some of the earliest artworks associated with the Buddha and evolving from aniconic to iconic (anthropomorphic) representations of the Buddha used for purposes of veneration. The practice originated in India. Later, recumbent statues of the Buddha included painted soles of the feet, depicting as here, various designs of the lotus flower, which resemble the Dhammachakra wheel representing the turning of the 'Wheel of the law, ' the teachings of the Buddha; other designs also included the symbolic 32, 108 or 132 auspicious characteristics of the Buddha. While many other symbols, too, were depicted on the soles of the feet, in Sri Lanka mainly the Dhammachakra wheel is found after circa the 8th century.
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