Gal Viharaya

Gal Viharaya, also known as Uttararamaya is a rock temple situated in the sacred city of Polonnaruwa in the North Central province.

The temple was fashioned by king Parakramabahu 1 in the 12th century and it contains four enormous granite figures of Lord Buddha carved into stone, namely: the two seated figures, one standing figure and one reclining figure. Gal Viharaya being a great monument of ancient Sri Lanka, exemplifies the traditions of ancient Sri Lankan sculpting and carving.

A special feature of these rock-carvings is that the artists have used the maximum possible area of the rock to create these amazing, gigantic artwork. The founder of Uttararamaya- king Parakramabahu has held a congregation of Buddhist monks in the temple and a "Katikavata" which means a code of conduct, has been inscribed on the same rock that the images of Lord Buddha are carved. The name Uttararamaya which contains the meaning of "The northern temple" is recorded as one of the most prominent Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka in the historical record called "Culavansa".

The seated image of Lord Buddha is 15 feet and 2.5 inches tall and the seat is carved in the shape of a lotus flower and is decorated with lion- images . The statue depicts "Mahayana" influence on Sri Lankan Buddhist sculpture since it contains several "Makara" (dragon) images as well.

The seated image in Vidyadara cave is relatively small (4 feet and seven inches) in height. This statue is known to be more elaborate than the other seated image as it contains a throne and a "prabhamandala" (A halo) carved behind the Buddha image.

The standing image has been the most explored statue amongst the four statues because of the belief that this is not an image which represents Lord Buddha but monk Ānanda who laments at the "Parinirvana" (deathbed) of Lord Buddha. However, the image carries a sorrowful expression which has been interpreted in various ways by historians and archeologists.

The reclining image is 46 feet and 4 inches in length and obviously the largest statue in Gal Viharaya. The image depicts the "Parinirvana" of Lord Buddha being one of the largest sculptures in southeast Asia. According to a former commissioner of the archaeological department of Sri Lanka, the bolster on which Lord Buddha rests his head looks like a real pillow rather than a carving, which instills the idea that these stone carvings are incredibly skilful and amazing!

So, Uttararamaya is a sacred place where you should explore in your visit to Sri Lanka since it will amaze your eyes to see the greatness of ancient Sri Lankan artistry!