The Maligawila Buddha

At a Glance

This collosal 7th century Buddha statue, carved from a single piece of limestone rock, is named after the nearby village of Maligawila. Standing at 11.53 meters, it is the largest of its kind in Sri Lanka.

The Story 

The Maligawila Buddha statue is located close to the village of Maligawila in the Moneragala District of the Uva Province. The statue was carved from a single large limestone rock, and is the tallest ancient free-standing image so far discovered in Sri Lanka, at a height of 11.53 m. The standing Buddha holds his robe at his left shoulder, while the right hand is raised to the right shoulder, in a mudra known as asisa mudra.

Ruins around the statue show that an extensive image house had been constructed around the statue. According to the Culavamsa chronicle the statue was built in the 7th century CE by a prince named Aggabodhi of Ruhuna. The Culavamsa records that he erected a temple named Pathma Vihara, and also constructed a great statue of the Buddha there.

The statue was discovered in 1951, having fallen from its pedestal and lying broken in many pieces. Several attempts were made to repair and raise the statue, and it was finally re-erected in 1991. The site now attracts many modern pilgrims.

Coordinates: 6.728345,81.352432