ABSTRACT
The final chapter of the book moves away from the model of origin and decline of religions postulated during the colonial period and adopted in the post-Independence period as well and instead emphasizes plurality as the characteristic feature of the religious landscape in the Indian subcontinent. Archaeological evidence from several sites such as Mathura, Ellora, Nagapattinam and so on clearly indicates that a multireligious environment was the norm rather than an exception and needs to be factored into discussions of archaeology and Buddhism. Buddhist monastic centres thus coexisted with shrines and temples of other affiliations, though there were no doubt shifts and transformations over time.
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