The image of a Bodhisatthwa, 7th Century AD, Maligawila, Sri Lanka.

The image of a Bodhsatthwa in the same monastery complex as the statue of the Lord Buddha at Maligawila, shows how far the concepts of Mahayana Buddhism had permeated Sri Lanka in the 7th Century AD. Quite a few ruins in the south of Sri Lanka like in Buduruwagala show this affinity.

Statue of the Bodhisatthwa at Maligawila near Buththala, Sri Lanka.

The Mahayana inspired monument of a Bodhisatthwa depicted above was not seen in the mid 1960s when I visited the fallen down statue of Lord Buddha nearby. The statue of Lord Buddha was restored to its erect posture and the statue of a Bodhisatthwa has been renovated during the time of the Premiership of Mr. Premadasa.

The statue of Lord Buddha at Maligawila.

An exhibition of 'drift-wood art', Maligawila, Sri Lanka.

These are some pictures I took of a one-man exhibition of drift-wood art, near the entrance to the Maligawila Monastery Complex at Butthala, Sri Lanka.

Maligawila, stairway and a 'Mandapa' ruins, Butthala, Sri Lanka.

This area appears to be the Mahayana side of the monastery.

Maligawila Monastery complex.

Video:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFl7MO-PnZg

Image of a Bodhisattwa, Maligawila, Sri Lanka.

The history of Mahayana Buddhism has been totally put to the back burner in Sri Lanka. It had and still has a profound influence on Sri Lankan culture. The antagonisms started around the 5th century AD when Abheyagiri Vihara in Anuradhapura was burnt to the ground. Several valuable commentaries were burnt. But Mahayana had its profound influence by the statues at Aukana, Buduruwagala, Maligawila to mention just a few. I took this picture of the restored Bodhisattwa image at Maligawila around the late 1990s.

Buddha statue, Maligawila, Buththala, Sri Lanka.

In 1967 I visited this place in a byway off Buththala in Sri Lanka. This massive Buddha statue made of sandstone was lying on the ground, with the head decapitated. This was the work of people who looked for treasure inside the statue. In the 1980s when I visited this place again the statue had been reinstalled, using mechanical cranes, during the Presidency of Mr.Premadasa. I took these pictures at that time. A few yards opposite this statue there is a very elaborately carved, beautiful image of a Boddhisattwa. This showed the influence of Mahayanism in this area.