A free-standing 7th-century limestone Buddha over 11 m tall, the tallest ancient free-standing Buddha statue in Sri Lanka, set in forested grounds.

Overview

The Maligawila Buddha is a serene free-standing limestone image standing more than 11 m tall, reached by a shaded forest path from the car park. Carved from a single block and depicting the Buddha in a posture of blessing, it is the tallest ancient free-standing Buddha statue on the island. Nearby, reached by a separate path, stands the great Dambegoda Bodhisattva statue, an equally impressive figure identified with Avalokitesvara. Both were found toppled and shattered and painstakingly reassembled, and the quiet wooded setting adds to their grandeur.

History

The statues are believed to have been commissioned in the 7th century CE by the prince Aggabodhi. Over the centuries they collapsed and lay broken in the jungle until they were rediscovered in the 1950s, then reconstructed and re-erected between 1989 and 1991 under a major state restoration programme.