Sri Lanka: 1000 year old carved stone figures representing a 16m Buddha (right) and to the left three smaller figures representing the Avalokitesvara (centre) and his consort Tara (right), and their son Prince Sudana, Buduruvagala
The remote ancient Buddhist site of Buduruvagala (which means ‘stone Buddha images’ in Sinhalese) is thought to date from the 10th century, when Mahayana Buddhism dominated parts of Sri Lanka. Carved into the rock face is a huge 16m-high Buddha figure, with three smaller figures on either side.
Avalokiteśvara ('Lord who looks down') is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. Portrayed in different cultures as either male or female, Avalokiteśvara is one of the more widely revered bodhisattvas in mainstream Mahayana Buddhism, as well as unofficially in Theravada Buddhism.
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Copyright © 2024, All rights reserved.