Sri Lanka, April 9 -- Buddhism flourished in ancient India, including Tamil Nadu from the early years of the Christian era till about the 14th century. At its height, it enjoyed royal patronage and was the religion of the elite which at that time comprised the urban and mercantile classes.

Buddhism ceased to exist in India in the medieval period for a variety of reasons, and saw a revival of sorts only in the closing years of the 19th century.

The discoveries of British archaeologists and anti-colonial and religious revivalist movements in Ceylon and India spurred by Europeans interested in Eastern thought, were factors responsible for increasing interest in Buddhism at the end of the 19th century.

In Ceylon, the Buddhist revival was a...