Buduruwagala

Buduruwagala is a group of seven figures cut in high relief into a rock face in dry jungle near Wellawaya, dating to around the ninth or tenth century. The central standing Buddha is about fifteen metres, the tallest in the country, and the flanking figures are Mahayana bodhisattvas, Avalokitesvara and Tara among them, which makes the site evidence of a Mahayana presence in an island whose Buddhism is otherwise Theravada. Traces of the original stucco and paint survive.

What you actually see

• The central Buddha - about fifteen metres, the tallest standing figure in Sri Lanka.
• The bodhisattva figures - Mahayana attendants unusual in a Theravada country.
• The surviving stucco - traces of the original coating and pigment on the rock.
• The jungle setting - the carvings in dry forest with a tank below.

When to go

November to April is the drier window. Morning light falls on the west-facing rock in the afternoon, so late in the day suits photography. The site is quiet on weekdays.

Honest expectations

The site is small and takes an hour. There is little interpretation and the Mahayana significance is easy to miss. Monkeys around the car park are aggressive.

Nearby

Wellawaya is north, and Diyaluma is northwest.