Bhumispara Mudra

Bhumispara mudra is a hand gesture, thought to be adopted by Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) in the moment of his enlightenment. As such, this mudra is commonly depicted in statues and carvings of Buddha in meditation. Translated from Sanskrit as the "earth touching gesture," bhumispara mudra is symbolic of Buddha's triumph over temptation by the demon king Mara.

It is believed that the earth bore witness to this event as a result of Buddha lowering his right hand, and so statues of Buddha in bhumispara mudra are known as the "earth witness".