Buddhism has gifted sculptures with pillars, carvings on the walls of stupas and statues.
Most of the columns were designed by Ashoka.
The columns were about $10$ to $15$ meters high and weighed $300$ to $400\ kg.$
Each column was carved out of the same rock. The gloss of the column looked like metal.
The inverted lotus was carved on the stone of the pillar and a raised figure of a lion and his ugly elephant, horse or ox was carved on the head of the pillar.
The figure of four lions standing on the Ashoka pillar near Sarnath with their backs to each other and the Dharmachakra as the national emblem of India are considered to be the finest examples of Buddhist sculpture.
Buddhism has gifted Gandhara style and Mathura style in idol sculpture. Prior to the rise of the Mahayana sect, Buddhist sculptures were found in the carvings on the pillars of the chaityas, on the hair of the stupas, and on the gates of the gates.
In this carving, sculptures of Buddha's birth story, Buddha's life events, Yakshas, Kinnars, etc. are found carved with their various gestures and limbs.
With the rise of the Mahayana sect, Buddhist sculpture changed.
As the Mahayana sect believed in idolatry, stone, marble and metal idols of the Buddha began to be made.
In addition, in the first century $AD,$ the regions of Gandhara and Takshashila came into contact with Greek sculpture, and statues of Buddha and Bodhisattvas began to be shaped like Athena or Apollo.
The distinctive style of Greek sculpture was first developed in the Gandhara region.
Hence it came to be known as "Gandhara style".
Indian style sculpture was at its peak in the Gupta Age.
The Buddha statue at Sarnath depicts beauty, depiction of the heart and a kind of spiritual beauty.
Sculptures made of metal were also developed during this time.
The $2.5$ meter high Buddha copper statue found near Nalanda and the $2.5$ meter high and one tonne bronze Buddha statue found near Sultanganj in Bhagalpur district of Bihar are excellent examples of metal sculpture.
These sculptures also give an idea of the progress of chemistry and metallurgy along with sculpture.