Buddhism and Rock
by Sylvia Lachmann
Category: Art

This book is about rock-cut architecture (man-made structures carved out of living rock) and its remarkable affinity with Buddhism. The technique originated in the Levant over seven thousand years ago, and evolved into a unique art form, which reached its apogee in the Buddhist cave temples of West India. The book starts with a review of the temporal and geographic spread of rock-cut caves around the Mediterranean, and then concentrates on the development and spread of Buddhist rock-cut architecture in India and across Asia over the last two thousand years. Many of the major sites are described, and the book is well illustrated.