Sri Lanka is a land that’s steeped in ancient history and tradition. When uncovering the island’s past, you’ll find that the story of Sri Lanka and its people stretches back for many centuries, even into prehistoric times! Evidence of this rich and storied past still exists in the remote corners of the country. One such example is the Buduruvagala, an ancient Buddhist temple that’s nestled away in the Monaragala District.
The name Buduruvagala roughly translates to “the rock of Buddhist sculptures”. Indeed, there are several impressive Buddhist sculptures to be found herein. Most of these bear the style and design of the Mahayana school of Buddhism – a somewhat interesting fact considering that most of the island’s Buddhists conform to the Theravada school of thought. The largest of the Buddha statues found here stands at a staggering height of 16 metres. This makes it the largest standing Buddha statue found on the entire island! Aside from this impressive construct, several other great statues can be found here. These include one which bears the likeness of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara – a prominent mythological figure in Buddhism. There is also a figure of a female that’s though to be his consort – Tara.
The Buduruvagala has been dated back to the 9th or 10th century – it is hard to determine an accurate date due to the lack of historical texts that speak about the location. However, all evidence suggests that it was used as a hermitage by monks of the era. Whatever the case may be, don’t pass up on a visit to this ancient attraction if you’re touring through the area.
