Buddhism, originating in ancient India around the 6th century BCE under Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, is a major global religion. Its core teachings, encapsulated in the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, centre on understanding suffering, its causes, and the path to its cessation through compassion, mindfulness, and wisdom.

With its spread across Asia, Buddhism has influenced art, philosophy, and societal structures, adapting to diverse cultural contexts while retaining its fundamental principles. Its impact extends beyond Asia, influencing fields such as psychology and interfaith dialogue.

Today, Buddhism boasts millions of followers worldwide, transcending borders and cultural boundaries. Its enduring appeal lies in its emphasis on personal transformation and societal harmony, making it a significant force in the search for inner peace and enlightenment globally.

Epigraphy is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the writing and the writers. In India, rocks as well as lithic, metallic, earthen or wooden pillars, tablets, plates and pots, as also bricks, shells, ivory plaques and other objects were generally used for incising inscriptions.