Maligawila Buddha statue | |
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Year | 7th century |
Type | Stone sculpture |
Location | Maligawila, Sri Lanka |
The Maligawila Buddha statue is a standing figure of the Buddha in Sri Lanka, which was carved out of a large limestone rock during the 7th century by a prince named Aggabodhi who was the ruler of Ruhuna at the time. It is the tallest free-standing ancient statue of the Buddha found in the country. It had been broken into several pieces by the time it was found in 1951. The statue was reconstructed and raised again in 1980 under the direction of the then president Ranasinghe Premadasa.