Buduruwagala is an ancient buddhist temple in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

. The complex consists of seven statues and belongs to the Mahayana school of thought. The statues date back to the 10th century. The gigantic Buddha statue still bears 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 Buddhist mythological figure-the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. To the left of this white painted figure is a female figure in the thrice-bent posture, which is thought to be his consort-Tara. Buduruwagala-site

Name

Buduruvagala means "the rock of

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

Sculptures". The name Buduruwagala is derived from the words for Buddha (Budu), images (ruva) and stone (gala). Most visitors, especially Buddhists, who attend the temple will make sure to visit Buduruvagala.

Location

Buduruvagala is located about southeast of Wellawaya in Monaragala district, Sri Lanka.

Size of the statues

The largest of the standing Buddha statues is from head to toe; is the largest standing Buddha statue of the island.Buduruvagala, Buduruwagala-Avalokitesvara

History

Authorities generally date them to the 9th or 10th century. Buduruvagala does not have much historical records. Even its original name is unknown. It is thought to be a hermitage for monks. The sculptures of Buduruvagala also include many sculptures of

Bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schools ...

images including

Mahayana ''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing br ...

tradition.Buddha's Rock Mahayana Legacy at Buduruvagala
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The mustard oil lamp

On the same rock where the sculptures are carved, there is a carved shape of about wide and height. It is of the shape of a flame. The inside wall of this carved shape is always wet of an oil that smells very much like

Mustard oil Mustard oil can mean either the pressed oil used for cooking, or a pungent essential oil also known as volatile oil of mustard. The essential oil results from grinding mustard seed, mixing the grounds with water, and extracting the resulting vola ...

. This oil comes to the carved shape with no explainable source or reason.

References