Aureole

An aureole is a luminous or colored ring, circle of light or halo that surrounds the head or body of deity, holy person or saint in a painting or sculpture that represent his/her divinity and saintliness as an enlightened being and also the divine energy emanating from the deity. Referred to as an aura or glow of sanctity it is a radiant light or luminous cloud encircling a sacred personage. According to Buddhist sutras, Buddha’s body shone with a great radiance that filled the world that is shown in artistic representation as an aura of light which in Tibetan and Nepalese Buddhism is called a prabhamandala and is depicted as circles of light. Aureoles can be in several forms, such as lotus shaped or a fiery protuberance arising from the head in sculptures of the Buddha that is sometimes referred to as the flame aureole – a light burning with spiritual intensity. Hindu deities such as Ganesha may be represented with an aureole.