Veheragala - finding place of an iconic golden sculpture
replica of the Avalokiteshvara sculpture in the temple museum of Veheragala
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Veheragala is a small cave temple 15 km east of Mihintale. Actually, it’s a typical Sri Lankan temple with a stupa, Bo-Tree and an image house in a rock shelter plus some ancient ponds and small bathes. However, there is something special about Veheragala: It’s the finding place of a gold treasure in a literal sense. And the small ancient statues found here were not only golden but of highest artistic value. Surprisingly, they were Mahayana statues in the heartland of Theravada Buddhism. The most precious figures are now for safekeeping in the National Museum in Colombo. One lovely sitting Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara found in Veheragala is of particular interest, as it has become iconic and emblematic. It can be seen in many tourist broschures. Though the golden sculpture is on display in Colombo, a copy is exhibited right in the middle of the small museum attached to the temple in Veheragala, only 50 m or so away from the finding place which will be shown to you by a monk or assistant.
The Buddhist temple known as Sirisangabo Viharaya in Veheragala near Ellawewa is located 16 km (10 miles) east of Mihintale. Another spelling of the place name is Veragala.
The Iconic Buddhist sculptures found in Veheragala
The Veheragala Monastery is famous as the site of the discovery of several extraordinarily beautiful Buddhist statuettes from the late Anuradhapura period, which are now among the showpieces of the National Museum of Sri Lanka in Colombo. A special feature of these sculptures is that they represent figures of Mahayana Buddhism, which is actually frowned upon in Sri Lanka as a deviation from the original form of the religion. Mahayana Buddhist legends are also told in Veheragala.
Furthermore, the place is associated with the famous Chinese pilgrim and scholar Faxian (Fa Hsien), whose report of his pilgrimage, which is a very important historical source, also contains some chapters about Sri Lanka. However, they don't mention Veheragala, but they do mention the nearby Mihintale. Since Faxian's most detailed description is of the Abhayagiri monastery in Anuradhapura and the tooth relic procession associated with it, it is generally assumed that Faxian lived there. But the local tradition in Veheragala claims the Chinese Mahayana Buddhist as its own.
Veheragala simply means “Monastery Rock” because the complex lies at the foot of a small granite rock. The monks' modern buildings are located near the central parking lot. This includes a small museum for the local finds. The main exhibits were brought to Colombo, where they are highlights of the National Museum of Sri Lanka.
Furthermore, the place is associated with the famous Chinese pilgrim and scholar Faxian (Fa Hsien), whose report of his pilgrimage, which is a very important historical source, also contains some chapters about Sri Lanka. However, they don't mention Veheragala, but they do mention the nearby Mihintale. Since Faxian's most detailed description is of the Abhayagiri monastery in Anuradhapura and the tooth relic procession associated with it, it is generally assumed that Faxian lived there. But the local tradition in Veheragala claims the Chinese Mahayana Buddhist as its own.
Veheragala simply means “Monastery Rock” because the complex lies at the foot of a small granite rock. The monks' modern buildings are located near the central parking lot. This includes a small museum for the local finds. The main exhibits were brought to Colombo, where they are highlights of the National Museum of Sri Lanka.
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They originals have been replaced by copies in the small museum of Veheragala., which at least provide a weak reflection. The most iconic sculpture is placed in the middle of the room. It's a particularly beautiful sitting statue of Avalokiteshvara, the original of which is made of gilded bronze that was cast in one piece. This almost 50 cm high figure was excavated in Veheragala in 1968. The original has become a highlight and a kind of heraldic symbol of the National Museum of Sri Lanka.
for more information about posture and gesture and other features of the Veheragala Avalokiteshvara click here...
The sitting position with legs dangling slightly, which is uncommon among ancient Sri Lankan sculptures, is a combination of Lalitasana and Rajalilasana. However, this leg position is often seen in Tibetan and Chinese seated depictions of Bodhisattvas. Lalitasana and Rajalilasana are two different "asanas", as the classic sitting postures in Indian art are called. Lalitasana literally means “beautiful seat”. In this sitting position, the left leg hangs down from the seat or is placed on the floor, usually on a lotus flower. The knee and foot of right leg remain on the seat, with the tip of the foot folded under the back of the left knee. Rajalilasana literally means "King's Play Seat", but is usually translated as "pose of royal relaxation". The characteristic of this sitting position is the right knee, which is clearly raised above the seat surface. The right hand usually rests loosely on it. In pure, classic Rajalilasana, the left leg rests on the seat as if in a meditation position, so that the left foot lies behind the heel of the right foot. However, in the Veheragala Avalokiteshvara, the left leg dangles down like in the Lalita posture. That's why we speak here of a combination of Lalitasana and Rajalilasana. So the left leg hangs casually down like in the Lalita position and the right one is bent up like in the Rajalila posture. About half a dozen finds from Sri Lanka show this asana combination, which is otherwise very common in the Mahayana world. The best-known example of these seated figures, which look very similar to the Veheragala Bodhisattva without, however, achieving his expressiveness and precision of detail, is located in the Natha Devale next to the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy and is only made available to visitors with special permission. Natha is the Sinhalese regional deity of Kandy, the city's patron, but Natha is traditionally identified with the Mahayana Buddhist Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara.
The right hand of Veheragala-Avalokiteshvara shows the hand position called Kataka-Hasta, which is so typical of Sri Lanka's Mahayana figures,. It symbolizes holding a flower. All sitting figures found in Sri Lanka in the combination of Rajalila and Lalita sitting poses show this Kataka hand position. The large rock sculptures in the south of the island also show this “ring hand gesture“, which is how „Kataka-Hasta“ can be translated.
The characteristic high crown of hair is called Jatamakuta. The hollow opening in the middle was originally occupied by a camea depicting a Buddha, as is still the case in comparative examples such as the avovementioned figure in Kandy's Natha Temple. More precisely, the Buddha in the crown of hair is one of the otherworldly, eternal Buddhas, namely the Tathagatha Amithaba, whose emanation in our world is the Bodhisattva Avalokitshvara. He was created by a ray of light from Amithaba's right eye when he was lost in meditation. Avalokitschvara can be recognized iconographically by this Buddha Amithaba in the hair crown, the Jatamakuta.
This Avalokiteshwara enchants with its grace, its relaxation and the richness and delicacy of the presentation of its jewelry. Many consider this figure, the original of which can be admired in the National Museum in Colombo, to be the most beautiful Buddhist work of art in Sri Lanka. The National Museum presents this exhibit on its website. It is also shown on the Cultural Triangle tickets. Hardly any lover of Asian art can ignore the magic of this work of art. It is the perfect expression of the miraculous power of compassion that is the characteristic of this most popular Vodhisattva of the Mahayana Buddhists. The Veheragala sculpture does not correspond to any of the otherwise strictly regulated iconographic variants of the representation of Avalokiteshwara, of which there are a large number in Mahayana art. The Veheragala figure appears to be a combination of religious and courtly representation. Stylistically, this special form probably has its origins in the royal ideology of Sri Lanka. The sitting posture is an expression of the serenity of a king.
The iconographic proximity to royal figures can be found in many Bodhisattva sculptures in Sri Lanka. It is often impossible to distinguish whether a figure represents a bodhisattva or a king. And this has a double background, a religious and a secular one. In the religious artistic tradition, a Bodhisattva was originally a companion of a Buddha or a Buddha-like world ruler, a Chakravartin. Little by little, the Chakravartin was completely absorbed into the Bodhisattva representation, which has another root in the light-symbolism of the Iranian tradition. Secondly, in the royal ideology of the late Anuradhapura period, the idea became established that only a Bodhisattva, i.e. a benign being who will one day achieve perfect Nirvana, could become ruler in Sri Lanka. This closeness of royalty to the Bodhisattva ideal may be one reason why a Mahayana motif found its way into the courtly art of Anuradhapura, but conversely this aristocratic background also influenced Mahayana art and thus created the peculiar Mahayana style of Sri Lanka, the most perfect expression of which is this Veheregala Avalokiteshvara.
Another famous work of art from Veheragala is a statue of the Buddha made of gilded solid bronze with individual traces of red paint. This sculpture is certainly one of the most beautiful of its kind. For a massive bronze portrait from Sri Lanka, it is striking due to its unusual size of 66 cm high. Even larger bronzes are hollow inside. The standing figure was discovered in the monastery in 1968 and dates from the late Anuradhapura period, or more precisely from the late 8th or early 9th century, although Paranavitana dates it to the earliest period of Sinhalese Buddha images, the 3rd century.
The eyes are represented by inserted rock crystals. An original flame of enlightenment (Siraspata) was cast separately and was lost. The statue shows the classic hand posture of a standing Buddha image, namely the gesture of granting protection (Abhaya mudra) with the right hand and the Ahvana mudra with the left, in which he gathers the robe with the two more curved middle fingers. The robe shows strong folds. Unlike modern seated figures of the Buddha, he does not wear a folded shawl called a sanghati, one of the three items of clothing worn by monks, over his shoulder. The garment fits tightly and the contours of the body underneath are strikingly feminine.
The right hand of Veheragala-Avalokiteshvara shows the hand position called Kataka-Hasta, which is so typical of Sri Lanka's Mahayana figures,. It symbolizes holding a flower. All sitting figures found in Sri Lanka in the combination of Rajalila and Lalita sitting poses show this Kataka hand position. The large rock sculptures in the south of the island also show this “ring hand gesture“, which is how „Kataka-Hasta“ can be translated.
The characteristic high crown of hair is called Jatamakuta. The hollow opening in the middle was originally occupied by a camea depicting a Buddha, as is still the case in comparative examples such as the avovementioned figure in Kandy's Natha Temple. More precisely, the Buddha in the crown of hair is one of the otherworldly, eternal Buddhas, namely the Tathagatha Amithaba, whose emanation in our world is the Bodhisattva Avalokitshvara. He was created by a ray of light from Amithaba's right eye when he was lost in meditation. Avalokitschvara can be recognized iconographically by this Buddha Amithaba in the hair crown, the Jatamakuta.
This Avalokiteshwara enchants with its grace, its relaxation and the richness and delicacy of the presentation of its jewelry. Many consider this figure, the original of which can be admired in the National Museum in Colombo, to be the most beautiful Buddhist work of art in Sri Lanka. The National Museum presents this exhibit on its website. It is also shown on the Cultural Triangle tickets. Hardly any lover of Asian art can ignore the magic of this work of art. It is the perfect expression of the miraculous power of compassion that is the characteristic of this most popular Vodhisattva of the Mahayana Buddhists. The Veheragala sculpture does not correspond to any of the otherwise strictly regulated iconographic variants of the representation of Avalokiteshwara, of which there are a large number in Mahayana art. The Veheragala figure appears to be a combination of religious and courtly representation. Stylistically, this special form probably has its origins in the royal ideology of Sri Lanka. The sitting posture is an expression of the serenity of a king.
The iconographic proximity to royal figures can be found in many Bodhisattva sculptures in Sri Lanka. It is often impossible to distinguish whether a figure represents a bodhisattva or a king. And this has a double background, a religious and a secular one. In the religious artistic tradition, a Bodhisattva was originally a companion of a Buddha or a Buddha-like world ruler, a Chakravartin. Little by little, the Chakravartin was completely absorbed into the Bodhisattva representation, which has another root in the light-symbolism of the Iranian tradition. Secondly, in the royal ideology of the late Anuradhapura period, the idea became established that only a Bodhisattva, i.e. a benign being who will one day achieve perfect Nirvana, could become ruler in Sri Lanka. This closeness of royalty to the Bodhisattva ideal may be one reason why a Mahayana motif found its way into the courtly art of Anuradhapura, but conversely this aristocratic background also influenced Mahayana art and thus created the peculiar Mahayana style of Sri Lanka, the most perfect expression of which is this Veheregala Avalokiteshvara.
Another famous work of art from Veheragala is a statue of the Buddha made of gilded solid bronze with individual traces of red paint. This sculpture is certainly one of the most beautiful of its kind. For a massive bronze portrait from Sri Lanka, it is striking due to its unusual size of 66 cm high. Even larger bronzes are hollow inside. The standing figure was discovered in the monastery in 1968 and dates from the late Anuradhapura period, or more precisely from the late 8th or early 9th century, although Paranavitana dates it to the earliest period of Sinhalese Buddha images, the 3rd century.
The eyes are represented by inserted rock crystals. An original flame of enlightenment (Siraspata) was cast separately and was lost. The statue shows the classic hand posture of a standing Buddha image, namely the gesture of granting protection (Abhaya mudra) with the right hand and the Ahvana mudra with the left, in which he gathers the robe with the two more curved middle fingers. The robe shows strong folds. Unlike modern seated figures of the Buddha, he does not wear a folded shawl called a sanghati, one of the three items of clothing worn by monks, over his shoulder. The garment fits tightly and the contours of the body underneath are strikingly feminine.
As at the Toluvila Temple in Anuradhapura, large quantities of small bronze casts of seated Buddhas were found in the same place in Veheragala. There were 14 at Toluvila and almost 50 in Veheragala. They were discovered on December 9, 1968. Although they were a mass find, the bronze Buddhas are not series production, but are all individually designed. These seated figures are also made using the lost form technique. This means that a wax model was first created in order to make a hollow clay mold as a negative of the figure, in which the bronze can then be cast after the heated wax has been poured out.
One of the most beautiful bronze seated figures in Sri Lanka comes from this mass find in Veheragala. It is now exhibited in the same room 2 of the National Museum in Colombo as the other two sensational finds from Veheragala described above. This 34cm high sitting Buddha is also gold-plated and has traces of red paint. It is a solid bronze. Until the 8th century, bronze figures of the seated Buddha were hollow on the inside, but from around 800, when this most famous bronze of a seated Buddha was made in Sri Lanka, people switched to solid casting, following the instructions for artists working in the Schilpaschastra find, the classic Indian work with instructions for designing buildings, paintings and sculptures.
One of the most beautiful bronze seated figures in Sri Lanka comes from this mass find in Veheragala. It is now exhibited in the same room 2 of the National Museum in Colombo as the other two sensational finds from Veheragala described above. This 34cm high sitting Buddha is also gold-plated and has traces of red paint. It is a solid bronze. Until the 8th century, bronze figures of the seated Buddha were hollow on the inside, but from around 800, when this most famous bronze of a seated Buddha was made in Sri Lanka, people switched to solid casting, following the instructions for artists working in the Schilpaschastra find, the classic Indian work with instructions for designing buildings, paintings and sculptures.
for more information about the gilded Seated Buddha found in Veheragala click here...
However, the Veheragala sitting Buddha is cast in two pieces. And the double lotus platform on which he sits is hollow inside. Only a few bronze Buddhas in Sri Lanka sit on lotus pedestals. The eyes form inlaid rock crystals. A gemstone is inserted into the Sirispata, the flame of enlightenment. As with most depictions of a seated Buddha, at least in the Theravada Buddhist world, the figure shows the gesture of meditation with hands clasped together and opened upwards, which is called Dhyani or Samadhi mudra. Only four bronze seated Buddhas were found in Sri Lanka, which had a different hand posture, namely the gesture of teaching Vitarka Mudra. The sitting posture of the Veheragala Bronze is the Virasana with legs placed one on top of the other, which is typical of Sri Lanka and South India, while in Bengal and other Buddhist countries the lotus position with legs intertwined dominates, called Padmasana or Vajrasana. The folds of the garment are clearly visible, as is the collapsed monastic garment called Sanghati, which is draped over the shoulder. This detail of the robe only appears relatively late in Anuradhapura art, also around 800, which is the period from which this figure comes. In the modern Kandyan period, the standing Buddhas also wear sanghatis, which, however, differ stylistically from those of the Anuradhapura period. They are much more pronounced and often highlighted in color.
Rock & Cave Temple in Veheragala
In addition to the museum, Veheragala is also a place where you can visit one of the painted caves so typical of Sri Lanka. Between the antechamber, which was originally used to store ritual implements, and the rear main cave with the Buddha statue, the passage door is flanked by colorful gatekeepers, the Dvarapalas, a classic motif in pan-Indian art. The Veheragala cave has its own charm because it is no longer polished to a high shine, but the paint is literally peeling off in many places.
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Above the cave with the image house lies the not too high rock of Veheragala, a granite boulder which - how could it be otherwise in Sri Lanka - is crowned by a white stupa.
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A few steps east of the museum you can see small pools of water carved into the flat, ground-level rock. These basins, which were used by the monks for ablutions, are also a typical feature of Sinhalese monastery and palace architecture, dating back to ancient times.
