The immortal epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, are the cherished and prized heritage of Indian culture. The idealized versions of Rama and Krishna narrated in the two epics and the Bhagwat Purana, the episodes and characters described in them have sunk deep into the psyche of every Indian. Like Buddhism, which provided inspiring themes to the Indian artist, the epics too inspired the Indian sculptor to execute his artistic creations in stone, stucco and terracotta in rock caves and temples all over the subcontinent.