The east coast of Sri Lanka boasts of calm bays, pristine beaches and interesting sights. It is also easy to reach Sri Lanka’s north central province -the cradle of Sri Lankan civilization. The Pasikuda Bay is a popular tourist destination and when in Sri lanka, beach hotel options around the bay are abundant, such as Maalu Maalu Resort & Spa.
It is easy to access Polonnaruwa in the north central province from the East Coast. The Gal Viharaya in Polonnaruwa was built by King Parakramabahu the Great (1155-1186) and was then known as the Uththararama or the Temple on the North Side.
The focal point of this temple are the four Buddha Statues hewn out of a single slab of granite There are two seated Buddha statues, one standing statue and the final statue in the pose in which the Buddha attained Nibbana (Parinirvana Manchakaya Pose). The first statue is in the Samadhi or meditative pose and is on a lotus flower base. The rock behind the statue is decorated with carvings. The second statue is in a man-made cave named Vidyadara Guhawa. Some opine that the 23 foot standing statue is of the Tehera Ananda.
Professor Senarath Paranavitana has stated that the treatment of the hair in ringlets and the lotus establishes that the statue is of the Buddha. (History of Ceylon – Nicholas and Paranavitana). Experts say that the standing statue was not built by King Parakramabahu but by another later king. The Chronicles too mention only 2 seated Buddha Statues and the Recumbent Statue in the Parinirvana Pose. The Parinirvana Statue is 80 feet long and one foot is seen an inch behind the other, while the toes are not aligned equally. This is to differentiate between normal sleep and the Parinirvana Pose. There is also a depression through the center of the stone pillow to indicate the weight of Lord Buddha’s head.
Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.