The development in sculpture and architecture associated with the rise of Vaishnavism and Shaivism is explained below:

a. The concept of a saviour was not unique only to Buddhism.

b. A similar concept was also developed within traditions that are now a part of Hinduism.

c. These are the form of Vaishnavism and Shaivism.

d. Vaishnavism was a part of Hinduism in which Vishnu was worshipped as the principal deity.

e. In Shaivism Shiva was regarded as the principal deity.

f. More emphasis was laid down on the worship of one particular deity.

g. The bond between the devotee and God was visualized as one of love and devotion or bhakti.

h. In the case of Vaishnavism, cults developed around the various avatars or incarnations of the deity.

i. 10 avatars with recognized within the tradition.

j. It was assumed that these were the forms that the deity had taken to save the world whenever it was faced by disorder and destruction because of the dominance of evil forces.

k. It is most likely that different parts of the country had popularised different avatars.

l. Recognizing each of these local deities as a form of Vishnu was one way of creating a more unified religious tradition.

m. In the case of Shaivism, shiva was symbolized by the linga and occasionally represented in human forms too.

n. All these representations depicted a complex set of ideas about the deity and the attributes through symbols such as dresses, ornaments, and weapons.