Seven colossal figures carved into a rock face around a 15 m standing Buddha, the tallest such rock-cut Buddha in Sri Lanka and a rare Mahayana site.

Overview

Buduruwagala, whose name means 'the rock of Buddhist statues', is a remarkable group of seven gigantic figures hewn from a low cliff amid scrub jungle south of Wellawaya. At the centre stands a Buddha some 15 m tall, the largest standing rock-cut Buddha image on the island, flanked by groups of bodhisattvas and attendants including figures identified as Avalokitesvara and Tara. The central Buddha still bears traces of the stuccoed robe and orange paint that once covered it. The tranquil, rarely crowded setting beside a small tank makes it one of the district's most atmospheric sites.

History

The carvings date to around the 10th century CE and belong to the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, which was influential in Sri Lanka at the time before Theravada Buddhism became dominant. The presence of bodhisattva figures such as Avalokitesvara and his consort Tara makes Buduruwagala one of the finest surviving expressions of Mahayana art in the country.