Buddha's Footsteps: Tracing Tantric Icons through India's Ancient Past

Buddha's Footsteps is a grand narrative of the course of Buddhism through the centre of Indian history-a journey that starts in the shadow of the Himalayas and extends outward to the temples of Tibet, the monasteries of Myanmar, and the mountain trails of China. Embedded in the biography and heritage of the Buddha, and a dynasty of visionary kings such as Ashoka, this book follows the course of how a native religious movement became a pan-Asian tradition.
India, which was once the 'golden bird', was not only the birthplace of Buddhism, but also its crucible- where monks, laymen, traders, and kings forged and reforged its course.
From the Buddha's initial teachings to the sweeping philosophies of the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana schools of thought, this book explores the monumental transformations that took Buddhism across history and space.
As Buddhism entered its esoteric Tantric period in about the 10th century CE, a new set of gods appeared - carved in stone, coloured on fabric, and enshrined in sacred scripture. They were meditation aids, filled with symbolism and spiritual guidance in layers.
Combining careful scholarship with a rich storyteller's prose, the author brings back to life long-obscure figures, demystifies the deep cultural domino effect of Indian Buddhism, and sheds new light on the subtle, yet enigmatic world of Tantric iconography from scarce Sanskrit and Tibetan sources.
It is a time machine, a spiritual detective novel, and a celebration of an old way that still resonates across centuries.