Buduruwagala

Among the lesser known attractions in Sri Lanka is the ancient Buduruwagala temple. Located a few away from Wellawaya in the Monaragala district, the temple complex dates back to the 10th century, where it is believed to have belonged to the Mahayana School of Thought. But what makes this temple so interesting and unique is the seven statues carved on a massive rock. The rock itself takes the shape of a kneeling elephant with its head down.

Buduruwagala translates to “the rock with the Buddha Statue”. The reason for this is because; the biggest and the tallest out of the seven beautiful statues is an impressing carving of Lord Buddha. With long streaks of orange suggesting that the statue was once brightly painted, the Buduruwagala Buddha image stands at a height of 15 meters and is the tallest in Sri Lanka.


Significance of the other statues

Three out of the six remaining figurines are centralized. These stand at the right hand of the Buddha Statue and are thought to be the Buddhist mythological figure; the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, his consort Tara portrayed in a thrice bent posture and Prince Sudhana. And among the other three statues at the left-had side is believed to be Maitreya, the future Buddha.
Although there is no documented material available on the Buduruwagala figurines, archeologists trust that the statues belonged to the Anuradhapura era. The carvings itself are recognized to be the Mahayana Buddhist style and is supposed to have belonged to the Pallawa- Sri Lankan art tradition. Similar carvings can also be found in the Dowa Raja Maha Viharaya in Bandarawela.






Written By: Kavisha Perera