This study explores the legend of the snails on the Buddha’s head a popular yet non-canonical tale that claims a group of snails sacrificed themselves to shield the meditating Buddha from the sun. While absent from early Buddhist scriptures, this story has gained cultural significance through oral tradition, folk narrative, and visual interpretation. Tracing the evolution of Buddhist art from aniconic symbolism to the anthropomorphic depictions of the Gandhara, Mathura, and Gupta periods, the study examines how the tightly curled hair seen in later Buddha statues may have inspired or reinforced this legend. The paper also analyzes the symbolic meanings associated with the snails, including self-sacrifice, protection of spiritual effort, and shielding the mind from worldly distractions. By highlighting the relationship between visual art, religious storytelling, and devotional imagination, this study shows how myths can arise from artistic features and, in turn, enrich religious experience and ethical reflection. Ultimately, the snail legend reveals the dynamic interplay between faith, folklore, and form illustrating how sacred narratives are continually shaped by cultural memory, artistic interpretation, and spiritual values.