Buduruwagala
Then…
The name Buduruwagala is derived from the words for
the Buddha (Budu), images (ruva) and stone (gala). The
figures are thought to date from around the 10th Century,
and are of the Mahayana Buddhist School, which enjoyed
a brief heyday in Sri Lanka.
…and now
The gigantic standing Buddha still bears the traces
of its original stuccoed robe, and a long streak of
orange suggests it was once brightly painted. The central
of the three figures to the Buddha's right is thought
to be the Mahayana Buddhist mythological figure, the
Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (the Bodhisattva of compassion).
To the left of this white-painted figure is a female
figure in the "thrice bent" posture, who is
thought to be his consort, Tara. The three figures on
the Buddha's left appear to be of a different style.
One is holding up the hourglass-shaped Tibetan thunderbolt
symbol known as the dorje - an unusual example of the
Tantric side of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. One of them is
said to be Maitreya, the future Buddha, while another
is Vishnu. Several of the figures hold up their right
hands with two fingers bent down to the palm - a beckoning
gesture.
Buduruwagala is an atmospheric place
and well worth a visit if you are on your way through
the area from the Hill Country to the southern beaches
or the National Parks of Bundala or Yala West, or vice versa.
Most of the principal sites
of interest can be visited in a 1-hour tour en route.
|
