The Maligawila Buddha is the world's tallest free-standing ancient Buddha statue. Today's highest free-standing Buddha statue is the Phutthamonthon Buddha, built in 1981, situated halfway between Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom in Thailand. |
According to the Mahavamsa chronicle, the Maligawila Buddha is attributed to a Prince Aggabodhi from the islands southern Rohana kingdom, who lived in the 7th century C.E. However, this reference, mentioning that he built a temple named Pathma Vihara and constructed a great statue of the Buddha there, is not entirely conclusive. The statue may well be from the 9th or 10th century.
The Maligawila Buddha bears some resemblance to the Aukana statue. For example, it shows the same draping of the robe and also the unusual gesture called Asisa Mudra, also transcribed as “Ashisha Mudra”. This very rare gesture is known from sculptures from Amaravati from southern India. The Amaravati style of Buddha sculptures influences Sri Lanka’s art in many respects. Asisa Mudra is similar to Abhaya Mudra. The hand is risen above the right shoulder. But instead of showing the palm of the hand to the contemplator, the heel of the hand is directed to him. Asisa Mudra is a gesture of blessing and pointing a direction. Asisa Mudra is only known from standing Buddha statues, particularly in Sri Lanka. Similar to the rock-cut Aukana Buddha statue, the free-standing Maligawila Buddha statue clutches the elobarately carved robe at the left shoulder. Ruins around the statue indicate that an image house had once been constructed around the statue. It appears to have been about 24 m (80 ft) long and wide, with 1.2 m (4ft) thick brick walls. Its height must have been about 20 m (65 ft). This image house must have been the largest shrine room completely built of brick in ancient Sri Lanka. |
The Dambegoda Bodhisattva statue is 9.85 m (32,3 ft) tall and weighs about 40 tons. It is placed a top a small stepped pyramid, a natural hill, terraced and edged by walls built of quarrystones.
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Only half a kilometres away from the Maligawila Buddha Statue is another colossus fashioned out of a single crystalline limestone, too. This image is called Dambegoda Bodhisattva statue. Compared to the Maligawila Buddha statue, it still looks rather patched up. It also was discovered fallen from its pedestal, broken in to several pieces and with its face down but intact. Treasure hunters have blown up the statue using dynamite. The statue was restored and reerected by Sri Lanka’s Department of Archeology in the early 1990s, too.
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Since the Dambegoda statue bears a small image of a seated Buddha in the crown, it is definitely the Mahayanist Bodhisattva Avalokiteshwara (Avalokitesvara). Nevertheless, the image is often identifies as Maithree Natha Bodhisattva, this means as Maitreya, known as Metteya in the sacred Pali language of Theravada Buddhism. In guidebooks, the Dambegoda is frequently identifiwd as Maithree Natha, but this is misleading. When constructed, the statue was definitely meant to represent the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshwara, the most important saviour in Mahayana Buddhism. Mahayana was well present on the mainly Theraveda Buddhist island during the middle and late Anuradhapura period, from the 3rd century onwards. In the southern pricipality or sometimes kingdom of Rohana (Ruhunu) ist even seems to have been the predominant version of Buddhism in works of art. The Avalokiteshwara cult never disappeared completely in Sri Lanka. After Theravada became the sole official version of Buddhism in Sri Lanka’s Sinhalese kingdoms, due to the monastic reform of Polonnaruwa’s great king Parakrmabahu I (1153-86), veneration of Avalokiteshwara was integrated in mainstream Buddhism by interpreting this Mahayanist saviour as identical with the local deity of the Kandyan region, Natha. In the Kandyan period, Natha became one of the 4 major guardian deities of the entire island and its Buddhist religion. But in the 18th century, Natha was more and more identified with another Bodhisattva, Maitreya (Metteya), who is also venerated by Tharavada Buddhists as the future Buddha coming to earth. This identification of two otherwise distinct Mahayanist Bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshwara and Maitreya, is not known in other parts of Asia, it’s unique to Sinhalese Buddhism. But, as metioned, it is the result of reigious developments of many centuries. In the Anuradhapura period, Avalokiteshwara and Maitreya were two separate figures, as can be seen by representations of both of them, to the right and to the left of the Buddha, in the nearby Buduruwagala. So, in that period, when the Dambegoda Bodhisattva image was raised, it was an Avalakiteshwara statue and not yet a Maitreya statue alike.
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Both Maligawila and Dambegoda statue attract pilgrims since they have been re-erected in the early 1990s.
At the foot of the stepped pyramid, just left to the stairway to the Bodhisattva statue, there is a pillar inscription, which is protected by a newly built roof. This stone pillar had been erected by King Mahinda IV (956-972 AD) on his 10th year of reign. The inscription records rules laid down by this late Anurdahapura King for the administration of Buddhist monasteries.
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