This photo circa 1880s of an aristocratic Kandyan lady’s bejeweled foot brings to mind the many rock-inscribed images of the Buddha’s footprint, or pada, throughout Sri Lanka- of which there are said to be 1,000- the most famous being the Sri Pada atop the 2,243 meter high Adam’s Peak. which is also often attributed to Adam himself, fresh from being cast out of the Garden, and the apostle Thomas who converted South India to Christianity. One tradition has the Buddha taking seven steps as a new born, with each step remembered with its own footprint, to symbolize his domination over the universe. Buddhapadas can be found in many odd places, some standing erect on stone stelae near stupas, some flat on the ground as if freshly made.
Buddha’s footprint on Adam’s Peak