bearded man in a long coat and trousers gathered at the ankle, with flames emanating from his shoulders. He wears large rounded boots, and is armed with a long sword as well as a lance. He is frequently seen to be making a sacrifice on a small altar. The lower halfIranian and Indic of a lifesize limestone relief of Kanishka similarly attired, with a stiff embroidered surplice beneath his coat and spurs attached to his boots under the light gathered folds of his trousers, survived in the Kabul Museum until it was destroyed by the Taliban. Hellenistic phase A few coins at the beginning of his reign have a legend in the Greek language and script: , "[coin] of Kanishka, king of kings." Greek deities, with Greek names are represented on these early coins: (, Hēlios), (, Hephaistos), (, Selene), (, Anemos) The inscriptions in Greek are full of spelling and syntactical errors. Iranian / Indic phase Following the transition to the Bactrian language on coins, Iranian and Indic divinities replace the Greek ones: ΑΡΔΟΧϷΟ (ardoxsho, Ashi Vanghuhi) ΛΡΟΟΑΣΠΟ (lrooaspo, Drvaspa) ΑΘϷΟ (adsho, Atar) ΦΑΡΡΟ (pharro, personified khwarenah) ΜΑΟ (mao, Mah) ΜΙΘΡΟ, ΜΙΙΡΟ, ΜΙΟΡΟ, ΜΙΥΡΟ (mithro, miiro, mioro, miuro, variants of Mithra) ΜΟΖΔΟΟΑΝΟ (mozdaooano, "Mazda the victorious?") ΝΑΝΑ, ΝΑΝΑΙΑ, ΝΑΝΑϷΑΟ (variants of pan-Asiatic Nana, Sogdian nny, in a Zoroastrian context Aredvi Sura Anahita) ΜΑΝΑΟΒΑΓΟ (manaobago, Vohu Manah ) ΟΑΔΟ (oado, Vata) ΟΡΑΛΑΓΝΟ (orlagno, Verethragna) Only a few Buddhist divinities were used as well: ΒΟΔΔΟ (boddo, Buddha), ϷΑΚΑΜΑΝΟ ΒΟΔΔΟ (shakamano boddho, Shakyamuni Buddha) ΜΕΤΡΑΓΟ ΒΟΔΔΟ (metrago boddo, the bodhisattava Maitreya) Only a few Hindu divinities were used as well: ΟΗϷΟ (oesho, Shiva). A recent study indicate that oesho may be Avestan Vayu conflated with Shiva. Kanishka and Buddhism In Buddhist tradition Kanishka is regarded as of utmost importance, as he not only believed in Buddhism but also encouraged its teachings as well. As a proof of it, he administered the 4th Buddhist Council in Kashmir as the head of the council. It was presided by Vasumitra and Ashwaghosha. Images of the Buddha based on 32 physical signs were made during his time. He encouraged both the Gandhara school of Greco-Buddhist Art and the Mathura school of art (an inescapable religious syncretism pervades Kushana rule). Kanishka personally seems to have embraced both Buddhism and the Persian attributes but he favored Buddhism, proven by his devotion to Buddhist teachings and prayer styles depicted