Sri Lanka is a prominent Buddhist country in South Asia. Since the majority of people are Buddhists, Sri Lankan culture is greatly influenced by Buddhism. Religion plays an important part in our daily life, and most people cherish traditional religious values. It is an important aspect that helps to harmonize the different nations in the country. Numerous Buddhist temples and statues of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka give a fascinating insight into Sri Lankan culture.
Most importantly, Lord Buddha is a deeply revered religious figure in Sri Lanka. Since ancient times, many huge statues of Lord Buddha have been constructed to honor and respect him. These statues are the most remarkable feature of the Buddhist temples. Paying homage to this respected statue of Lord Buddha is the most important and memorable part of visiting a Buddhist temple.
There are three kinds of statues of Lord Buddha that can see in Sri Lanka; seated, standing, and reclining. Here we have collected details about all of the most incredible statues of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka. These statues attract lots of visitors by their magnificent appearance. If you are visiting one of them, pay attention to the face of Lord Buddha. You’ll experience Lord Buddha’s serene expression and radiating feelings of peace and tranquility.
1. Bahirawakanda Temple
Bahirawakanda Temple is perched on top of a hill, only 1 km away from Kandy Town. The main attraction of this temple is the gigantic, pure white Buddha statue in a meditative position. This impressive 88 feet giant Buddha statue is overlooking the bustling Kandy town below and is one of the city’s most notable religious monuments.
Visitors can climb to the top of the hill within an hour but should be aware of rising temperatures during noon. A tuk-tuk ride will easily get you to the temple from Kandy town within a few minutes. Once you reached the peak, you can get panoramic views of the surrounding area of Kandy city.
Certainly, you can capture some of the most breathtaking views of Lord Buddha in Bahirawakanda Temple. Sunset will provide better colorful images and you will be lucky to capture magnificent shots. When illuminated at night, the image of Lord Buddha is amazingly great. Bathed in light in the darkness, the statue is particularly enchanting for a long distance.
2. Kande Viharaya
Kande Viharaya situates in Aluthgama, Kalutara district, less than one hour drive from Colombo. The literal meaning of Kande Viharaya is the temple on the mountain. As the name suggests, it has constructed on top of a hill. The large seated statue of Lord Buddha in Kande Viharaya considers the most beautiful Buddha image in Sri Lanka. This statue depicts the Bhoomisparsha Mudra.
160 feet high beautiful statue in Kande Viharaya is one of the largest seated statues of Lord Buddha in the world. It has erected in a colorful pedestal made into the shape of a Lotus flower. Above all, this incredible statue is an eye-catching sight, painted in attractive colors. Lord Buddha is quietly staring ahead over the walkway, giving the blessing to the visitors.
3. Athugala Viharaya
You’ll find a Buddhist temple called Athugala Viharaya at the top of Ethagala Rock in Kurunegala. This huge rock is 325 m in height and resembles the gigantic shape of an elephant. The signature of this temple is 66 ft high, an incredible statue of Lord Buddha. This pure white image of Lord Buddha overlooking Kurunegala city is magnificent scenery worthy to visit.
One can use the stairs to reach the top of the mountain or use the vehicle to reach the top of the rock. The best time to start hiking up the rock is during the sunset, as it would give the best panoramic view of the city. The night view of the Buddha statue from Kurunegala town is simply breathtaking. When all the surrounding is in the dark, only the white Buddha statue can be seen as floating in the sky.
4. Weherahena Temple
Weherahena temple is located in Matara about 6 km away from Kekanadura road. The pride of this temple is an enormous 78 feet high, red-robed, seated statue of Lord Buddha. It was built on a stage shaped like a lotus flower. This Buddha statue offers quite impressive, eye-catching sight to visitors.
Furthermore, an elegant courtyard was constructed on the front of the statue. There are two beautiful ponds in the middle of the yard. The temple complex spreads up to a vast land of three acres. There is an underground temple, which is the largest and first tunnel temple in the world.
5. Dambulla Golden Temple
The Golden Temple in Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave temple in Sri Lanka. There is a huge 65 feet high statue of Lord Buddha located at the entrance to this ancient cave temple. This magnificent seated Buddha is quite remarkable with golden paint. Certainly, it is rare to see this kind of real gold-painted statue of Buddha in Sri Lanka. The statue depicts the Dhamma Chakka Mudra.
This ancient cave temple is one of the eight world heritage sites in Sri Lanka. Most importantly, this temple has a long history, which dates back to the first century BC.
The giant Dambulla rock is 160 m in height and there are more than 5 large caves. The individual caves created by building partition walls into space beneath a single huge rock. Moreover, each cave contains beautiful statues and paintings of Lord Buddha.
6. Wewurukannala Temple
In the town of Dickwella in Matara, you’ll find one of the most amazing Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. The highlight of the temple is the large 100 feet high statue of Lord Buddha. It is the largest seated Buddha statue in Sri Lanka, dating back to the 18th century.
7. Anuradhapura Samadhi Buddha
The Samadhi Buddha statue in Anuradhapura, Mahamevna Park regards as one of the finest ancient Buddha statues in Sri Lanka. The Buddha depicts the Dhyana Mudra, the posture of meditation. This statue is 7 feet 3 inches in height and carved from dolomite marble.
Found in 1886 in Mahamevna Park, this ancient statue is survived intact and well preserved up to date. It is one of the oldest statues of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka. It is visited and honored by lots of Buddhists every day.
8. Avukana Buddha Statue
The Avukana statue considers the best example of a standing statue of the Buddha from ancient Sri Lanka. It locates at Kekirawa 20 km from historical Dambulla city. This statue is a rock-cut image of Lord Buddha standing on a lotus pedestal. It has a height of 42 feet and carved out of a large granite rock face.
Avukana Buddha depicts a variation of the Abhaya mudra. The closely worn robe is elaborately carved on the rock. The standing Buddha clutches the robe at the left shoulder, while the right hand raised to the right shoulder.
Constructed during the reign of King Dhatusena, this statue believes located within a large image house or shrine, the parts of the walls are still remaining. Certainly, the Avukana Buddha statue is one of the popular tourist attractions in Sri Lanka.
9. Maligawila Buddha Statue
Maligawila Buddha statue is an ancient standing figure of the Buddha in Sri Lanka. Located in Maligawila, Moneragala District it considers as one of the tallest free-standing statues in Sri Lanka. To clarify, the height of this huge statue is 37 feet 10 inches. This statue was carved out of a large limestone rock during the 7th century. It bears a close resemblance to the Avukana statue and depicts the same mudra, a variation of the Abhaya mudra.
At the time it found in 1951, it had been broken into several pieces. Finally, the statue was reconstructed and raised again in 1980. Ruins around the statue indicate that there was an image house around the statue for its protection.
10. Polonnaruwa Gal Viharaya
The Gal Viharaya or Rock Temple is the most visited ancient monument at Polonnaruwa. It was built by the great King Parakramabahu. The distinct feature of this temple is four rock relief statues of Lord Buddha, which have been carved into the face of large granite rock. The natural rock has excavated deep to accommodate these statues.
The statues consist of two seated figures, a standing figure, and a large reclining figure. The 46 feet long reclining Buddha statue in Gal Viharaya is one of the largest stone statues in South Asia. These statues show the ancient sculpting and carving skills of the Polonnaruwa kingdom. Sri Lankan Buddhist devotees respect these incredible statues from history.
11. Rambodagalla Buddha Statue
Monaragala Temple at Rambodagalla is a quite modern temple. There is a 67 feet high, huge statue of Lord Buddha. This statue was one of the latest creations in the country, constructed within the last two decades. It initiated in 2001 and took 13 years to complete.
Rambodagalla Samadhi Buddha carved in live rock according to the style of Anuradhapura Samadhi Buddha. Likewise, this statue has become one of the prominent sightseeing spots in the region which is highly popular among the pilgrims.
12. Dondra Temple
Located in Dondra, Matara city, Dondra Temple is one of the city’s oldest historic complexes. It is a combination of both Hindu and Buddhist religions. The first thing your eye will catch is the pure white, an immense standing statue of Lord Buddha. It is one of the tallest standing statues of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka, at 164 feet in height.
13. Giritale Buddha Statue
There is a replica of the Aukana Buddha statue near Giritale Lake in Polonnaruwa. This incredible statue of Lord Buddha is 39 feet in height. This is a quite recent construction that was completed in 2017.
Although this statue locates far from mainstream attractions in Polonnaruwa, it is a completely worthy sight to visit. The huge statue of Lord Buddha in the calm and quiet background of Giritale Lake gives a magnificent view to visitors.
14. Galagoda Temple
Karandeniya Shailatharama Viharaya also refers as Galagoda Temple is a hidden treasure in southern Sri Lanka. This temple can easily reach from Ambalangoda, about 6 km far from the town. Many visitors aren’t aware that the longest reclining Buddha statue in the whole of Asia is located in this small temple.
Although the temple is quite small, the interior is quite magnificent with a huge reclining Buddha. This 115 feet long statue is the longest one in South Asia. The statue is a picturesque portrait, with the colors are so vibrant and bright. The face of the statue is particularly beautiful. You’ll feel the serene and radiating feelings of peace while watching the face of the statue.
To sum up, here we have bought you the list of the most incredible statues of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka. Visitors are expected to respect Buddhist culture when visiting a Buddhist temple. We encourage visitors to follow the guidelines we have mentioned in our travel tips when entering sacred places. With respect to Lord Buddha, kindly refrain from posing for photographs with your back to the Buddha statue. Without a doubt, you’ll find peace and tranquility in these calm and quiet places filled with serenity.
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, Pixabay, Twitter, Dreamstime, and Flickr. All copyrights are reserved by the original authors.
