Parakramabahu Statue at Pothgul Vehera

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This beautifully carved statue stands 11½ feet (3.5 meters) in height and is carved into a semi-circular rock boulder. Popular belief is that this is the statue of King Parakramabahu (1153-1186), thus generally known as the Parakramabahu Statue. Another belief is that this is a statue of an Indian high priest (probably “Kapila”) or “Pulasthi”. The long beard and the mustache, the hair, the clothing, and the body with a slightly large stomach are not what you would expect from a statue of a great king.

The statue’s face bears an elderly and dignified expression, featuring a fully grown mustache and beard. Wijesekara (1962) notes that the mustache has a slightly Chinese appearance, while the long, flowing, beehive-shaped beard resembles Indian styles. The overall facial features also exude a subtle Chinese influence. The headgear is simple, shaped like a truncated cone.

The upper body is bare, devoid of clothing or ornaments. A loosely draped cloth extends from the waist down to the ankles, secured at the front with a belt. The garment is split in the middle, and the horizontal grooves carved into the fabric resemble the drapery treatment seen in Buddha statues. In his hands, he holds an object widely believed to be an ola leaf book.

Irrespective of who this represents, this is a quite beautiful and unique statue, showing the highest level of craftsmanship of the rock carving engineers of that time.

This statue can be reached by traveling about 1½ kilometers along the Parakrama Samudraya dam. There is a small, unidentified, and destroyed Chethya closer to this statue. It is believed by some that this is the burial ground of King Parakramabahu, and this stupa holds the remains of the king.

The overgrown stupa at the Parakramabahu Statue

Rererences

Vanarathana Thero, K. (1990). Sculpture and carvings of Sri Lanka from the 1st to 5th century A.D. In N. Wijesekara (Ed.), Archaeological Department Centenary (1890-1990) : Commemorative Series : Volume Four : Sculpture (1st ed., Vols. 4–4, pp. 1–44). Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka.
Wijesekera, N. (1962). Early Sinhalese Sculpture (1st ed.). M. D. Gunasena & Co Ltd.
Wikramagamage, C. (2004). Heritage of Rajarata: Major Natural, Cultural and Historic Sites (1st ed.). Rajarata Development Bank and Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

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Driving Directions to Polonnaruwa Sacred City

The modern town of Polonnaruwa is also known as New Town, and the other part of Polonnaruwa remains the ancient royal city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa.

Route from Colombo to Polonnaruwa Sacred City	Route from Kandy to Polonnaruwa Sacred City
Through: Central Highway—Kurunegala—Dambulla Distance from Colombo: 230 km Travel Time: 5 hours Driving Directions: See on Google Maps.	Through: Maradankadawala–Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time: 2 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.
Route from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa Sacred City	Route from Batticaloa to Polonnaruwa Sacred City
Through: Maradankadawala–Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time: 2 hours Driving Directions: See on Google Maps.	Through: Maradankadawala–Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time : 2 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.