. ▁ ▁V ith oba ' s ▁image ▁rep laces ▁the ▁traditional ▁representation ▁of ▁Bud d ha , ▁when ▁dep icted ▁as ▁the ▁nin th ▁av atar ▁of ▁V ish nu , ▁in ▁some ▁temple ▁sculpt ures ▁and ▁H indu ▁ast ro log ical ▁al man acs ▁in ▁Mah ar as ht ra . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁Mar ath a ▁artists ▁sculpt ed ▁an ▁image ▁of ▁P and h arp ur ' s ▁V ith oba ▁in ▁the ▁Bud d ha ' s ▁place ▁on ▁a ▁panel ▁showing ▁V ish nu ' s ▁av at ars . ▁This ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁Sh iv ner i ▁C aves . ▁Stevens on ▁goes ▁so ▁far ▁as ▁to ▁call ▁dev ote es ▁of ▁V ith oba ▁( V ith al - b h akt as ) ▁Buddh ist ▁Va ish n avas ▁( B aud d ho - V a ish n avas ), ▁since ▁they ▁consider ▁V ith oba ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁nin th — nam ely ▁Bud d ha — av atar ▁of ▁V ish nu . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁poet - s ain ts ▁pra ised ▁V ith oba ▁as ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁Bud d ha . ▁B . ▁R . ▁Am bed kar , ▁an ▁Indian ▁political ▁leader ▁and ▁Buddh ist ▁convert , ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁image ▁of ▁V ith oba ▁at ▁P and h arp ur ▁was ▁in ▁reality ▁the ▁image ▁of ▁the ▁Bud d ha . ▁ ▁Icon ography ▁▁ ▁All ▁V ith