Early development of sculpture, bas-relief of elephants adoring stupa (this is the aniconic phase of early Buddhism which eschews humanoid representation of the Buddha, preferring instead symbols such as the stupa, bodhi tree and sometimes, footprints of the Buddha as symbolic evocations. Note the extraordinary naturalism in rendering the bodies of the elephants. See also the band of latticework and wooden beam structure carved into the rock, both in the manner of timber structures that would have been contemporaneous with the caves.