Vallipuram Buddha Statue and the Gold Plate

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According to the Mahavamsa, the great chronicle of Sri Lanka, the principal strongholds of the Naga people in the 6th century BCE were located at Nagadeepa in the north and Kalyani (Kelaniya) along the western coast. The chronicle provides a detailed account of a conflict between King Mahodara, who ruled Nagadeepa, and his nephew King Chulodara, who governed from Kannavaddhamana Mountain (identified with Kandamadanam near Rameswaram).

The Dispute Over the Gem-Studded Throne

The sister of Mahodara was married to the Naga ruler of Kannavaddhamana Mountain, and as part of her dowry, Mahodara gifted a gem-studded throne. Chulodara, her son, inherited this throne. Following the death of the princess, Mahodara demanded its return; however, Chulodara refused. This disagreement escalated into a looming conflict between the two Naga kings, occurring five years after the Enlightenment of the Buddha.

The Buddha’s Intervention

In response to the impending war, the Buddha made his second visit to Sri Lanka to mediate the dispute. Through his teachings, both parties were reconciled, and it is recorded that eighty koti of Nagas converted to Buddhism. The contested throne was then offered to the Buddha and subsequently enshrined in the Nagadeepa Stupa, where it became an object of veneration for the Naga people.

Literary References

This episode involving the conflict between the Naga kings and the Buddha’s intervention at Nagadeepa is also recounted in the Tamil epic Manimekalai, an Indian literary work believed to have been composed around the 6th century CE.

Historical Identifications and Royal Patronage

In the present context, Nagadeepa is generally identified with Nainativu, a small island located off the Jaffna Peninsula. However, the whole peninsula of Jaffna was called Nagadeepa in ancient times. Mahavamsa records several royal associations with Nagadeepa across different periods. King Devanampiyatissa (307-267 BCE) is said to have made annual offerings to Jambukola Viharaya at Nagadeepa. King Mahalla Naga (135–141 CE) constructed the Salipabbata Viharaya there, while King Kanittha Tissa (164–192 CE) restored a temple at the site. King Voharika Tissa (214–236 CE) is credited with building a protective wall around the Tissa Viharaya in Nagadeepa. Later, King Aggabodhi I (575–608 CE) constructed the relic house Rajayathana, and King Vijayabahu I (1055–1110 CE) undertook repairs to Jambukola Viharaya.

References in Later Texts

The Nampotha, a 15th-century text used historically as a primary educational manual, refers to this land as Naga Divaina (“Naga Island”) rather than Nagadeepa. The list of temples listed in Jaffna (Demalapattanama) in this book is as follows;

දෙමළපට්ටනමෙහි නාගකෝවිල – Demalapattanemehi Nagakovila
කදුරුගොඩ විහාරය – Kadurugoda Viharaya
තෙලිපොල – Thelipola
මල්ලාගම – Mallagama
මිණිවන්ගොමු විහාරය – Miniwangomu Viharaya
තන්නි දිවයින – Thanni Divayina (Island)
අග්නි දිවයින – Agni Divayina (Island)
නාග දිවයින – Naga Divayina (Island)
පුවඟු දිවයින – Puwangu Divayina (Island)
කාර දිවයින – Kara Divayina (Island)

In 1917, P. E. Pieris identified several locations associated with ancient Naga settlements. These included Nagar Kovil in Vadamarachchi, Kantharodai, Tellippalai (where no remains of the temple survive), Mallakam (with no surviving temple remains), Vimankamam in Valikamam (also without remaining structures), Tanativu Island (Kayts Island), Analaitivu Island, Nainativu Island (Nagadeepa), Punkudutivu Island, and Karaitivu Island.

Based on this distribution, Pieris argued that the term Nagadeepa, as used in the Mahavamsa, did not refer solely to Nainativu Island. Instead, he proposed that it encompassed the entirety of the Jaffna Peninsula, corresponding to Demalapattanama as mentioned in the Nampotha, or more broadly, the region known as Yapa Patuna.

PLATE 1 : Chunnakam Excavations (where the Vallipuram statue was found) — Some of the Artifacts discovered by P.E. Pieris from the Jaffna Peninsula in the early 20th century

PLATE II : : Stone Finials from Kantarodai — Some of the Artifacts discovered by P.E. Pieris from the Jaffna Peninsula in the early 20th century

Early Discoveries by P. E. Pieris

P. E. Pieris was the first to document Buddhist archaeological remains in the Jaffna Peninsula. During a train journey to Jaffna, he observed an unusual mound to the west of the railway track in the otherwise flat terrain as the train approached Chunnakam Railway Station. Several months later, he revisited the site and reported the discovery of what is considered the first ancient stupa identified in Jaffna.

During his investigations, he learned of a carved stone discovered in the same village. He traced it to a private owner, who willingly handed it over to Pieris for transfer to the Jaffna Fort. This artifact was identified as a well-preserved limestone finial from a dagoba spire. It measured approximately 53.3 cm (21 inches) in height and 30.5 cm (12 inches) in diameter at the base. The stone was shaped like a sugar loaf and featured six progressively diminishing, deeply grooved bands.

The Vallipuram Buddha Statue

Pieris also recorded the existence of the Vallipuram Buddha Statue, which had been kept within the garden estate of the British Government Agent Ackland Dyke, often referred to as the “Rajah of the North.” This estate spanned approximately 10.9 hectares (27 acres), acquired using his private funds.

The statue, carved from limestone, had originally been unearthed in 1902 at Koddiya Vattai, an area once known as a Sinhala Watta and later a hamlet of Chunnakam. It was discovered about 45.7 meters (50 yards) northeast of the Vallipuram Vishnu Kovil in Vadamarachchi, Jaffna, during the late 19th century. Initially, the statue had been neglected and stored in a lumber room within the kovil until 1902, when it was relocated beneath a Bo tree in Ackland Dyke’s garden.

This larger-than-life statue, sculpted in the Amaravathi style, is estimated to weigh approximately half a ton. The entire right arm had broken off at the shoulder, and the left arm, which once held the robe, was also missing. In 1906, the statue was gifted to the king of Siam (modern-day Thailand), after which it remained largely forgotten for nearly a century.

Excavations at the Discovery Site

Following the relocation of the statue, Pieris visited the original discovery site and identified the ruins of a stupa. Securing a grant of Rs. 150 from the government, he conducted a four-day excavation. This revealed a square brick platform measuring approximately 12.2 m × 12.2 m (40 ft × 40 ft), forming the base of a stupa.

The platform and the garbha (inner chamber) of the stupa had been filled with limestone and finished with plaster. The hatharas kotuwa and basal rings had been coated with coral stone plaster and decorated with finely molded designs, many of which had since deteriorated and fallen away. Pieris noted that as recently as six years prior, the stupa had risen over 3.7 meters (12 feet) above the platform. However, large quantities of bricks had subsequently been removed using pickaxes and transported for use in railway construction.

He further reported the presence of additional brick foundations on the opposite side of the railway line, although these were not excavated due to limited funding. Today, no visible landmarks remain to identify the exact location of this archaeological site.

The Vallipuram Gold Plate found in 1936 now in display at the National Museum in Colombo.

Discovary of the Vallipuram Gold Plate

The original name of the temple complex at Vallipuram, the period of its construction, and the time at which it was converted into a Vishnu Kovil have all been lost to history, with no surviving records to clarify these transitions. However, a significant discovery was made in 1936, when a gold inscription was unearthed during the excavation of foundations for an ancient structure associated with the same kovil.

Walpola Sri Rahula Thero, having learned of this find through a Tamil acquaintance, located the inscription in the possession of the kovil priest. He was able to examine it and obtain a photograph, which was subsequently shown to Prof. Senarath Paranavithana, who brought the inscription to scholarly attention.

Description and Interpretation of the Gold Plate Inscription

The gold plate measures approximately 8.9 cm (3½ inches) in length and 2.5 cm (1 inch) in width, with a weight of 69.5 grains. The inscription is engraved on only one side. According to Prof. Senarath Paranavithana, the text is written in early Sinhala using Brahmi script and dates to the 2nd century CE, during the reign of King Vasabha (65–110 CE).

The four lines of the inscription have been read as follows:

සිධ මහරජ වහයහ රජෙහි අමෙතේ
ඉසිගිරයේ නකදිව බුජමෙනි
බදකර අතනෙහි පියගුක – තිස
විහර කරිතේ

Hail! in the reign of the great King Vasa(ba)
and when the Minister Isigiraya was governing Nakadiva,
at Badakara-atana Piyaguka – Tisa
caused a vihara to be built.

This inscription provides rare and valuable historical insight into the region. It strongly supports P. E. Pieris’s conclusion that Nakadiva (Nagadeepa) referred not merely to the present-day Nainativu Island, but to the entire Jaffna Peninsula. It further indicates the presence of a flourishing Buddhist community in the 2nd century CE, administered by a minister appointed by the ruling monarch.

Alternative Readings of the Inscription

Dharmabandu Amarasekara, in “Sinhala Shila Lekhana Vivarana – 1 Veni Kandaya”, suggests that the inscription allows for two possible interpretations, depending on how the names are understood:

Minister Isigiraya, while governing Nagadeepa, built the Piyagukatisa Viharaya at Bandakara Athane

While Minister Isigiraya was governing Nagadeepa, Piyagukatisa constructed a vihara at Bandakara Athane

However, Prof. Paranavithana favoured the first interpretation, concluding that the ancient temple—where both the gold plate and the statue were discovered—was known as Piyagukatissa, and that it was built by Minister Isigiraya during the reign of King Vasabha.

The Fate of the Gold Plate

At the top is the photo of the original Vallipuram gold plate published in 1950's and below is a photo of the plate currently in the Colombo National Museum — At the top is the photo of the original Vallipuram gold plate published in 1950 and below is a photo of the plate currently in the Colombo National Museum

The subsequent history of the gold plate remains uncertain. After being returned to its original owner, it is believed to have passed through several hands. It is now said to be housed in the National Museum, Colombo. However, comparisons between photographs published by early historians and the plate currently displayed in the museum reveal notable differences in the script, raising doubts as to whether the exhibited piece is the original or a replica. The true fate of the original inscription therefore remains unresolved.

The Vallipuram Buddha Statue in Bangkok

In 1996, Peter Schalk published a study tracing the history of the Vallipuram Buddha Statue, ultimately identifying its location in a seldom-visited section of the central Buddhist temple Wat Benchamabophit in Bangkok, widely known to Western visitors as the “Marble Temple.” Although the temple itself is a major tourist attraction, the statue does not occupy a prominent position and is therefore rarely noticed.

Even among temple guards, professional guides, and resident monks, awareness of the statue’s identity as the Vallipuram Buddha appears to be minimal. It is situated in a secluded corner at the rear of the temple complex, protected from weather, theft, and vandalism by an iron barrier. A small wooden sign, written in Thai and English, identifies the statue only as an image of the Buddha dispelling evil from the island of Ceylon, with no reference to Vallipuram. The statue is draped in a translucent yellow cloth, and offerings such as incense pots are placed at its base.

Restoration and Replica

The statue’s previously missing arms have been reconstructed, and these restorations are clearly distinguishable from the original sculpture in its present location in Bangkok. In 1994, a replica of the statue was created and sent to Sri Lanka. This replica is now displayed at the National Museum, Colombo.

Vallipuram Buddha Statue of Sri Lanka now lying at the Marble Temple in Bangkok hidden away in a insignificant corner. photo by Peter Schalk in The Vallipuram Buddha Image “Rediscovered” — Vallipuram Buddha Statue of Sri Lanka now lying at the Marble Temple in Bangkok hidden away in a insignificant corner.
photo by Peter Schalk in The Vallipuram Buddha Image “Rediscovered”

The replica of the original Vallipuram Buddha Statue of Sri Lanka at the National Museum in Colombo. The original is located in the Marble Temple in Bangkok — Vallipuram Buddha Statue of Sri Lanka now lying at the Marble Temple in Bangkok hidden away in a insignificant corner.
photo by Peter Schalk in The Vallipuram Buddha Image “Rediscovered”

References

Mahanama, Geiger, W., & Bode, M. H. (1912). The Mahavamsa or the Great Chronicle of Ceylon. Translated into English by Wilhelm Geiger. For the Pali Text Society by Henry Frowde.
Rasanayagam, C. (1926). Ancient Jaffna, Being a Research Into the History of Jaffna, From Very Early Times to the Portuguese Period. Everymans Publishers Ltd.
Pieris, P. E. (1917). Nagadipa and Buddhist remains in Jaffna. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch), 26(70), 11-30.
Amarasekara, D (1961). සිංහල ශිලා ලේඛන විවරණය – 1 වැනි කාණ්ඩය. 1st ed. M. D. Gunasena and Company Ltd. , pp.45-49.
Schalk, P. (1996). The Vallipuram Buddha Image “Rediscovered.” Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis, 16, 295–312.