Veheragala Siri Sangabo Rajamaha Viharaya Ruins

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Gilt Bronze Solid Cast Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva statue from : 9th Century discovered from Veheragala now lying at Colombo National Museum

What sets Veheragala apart is the discovery of an extraordinary collection of gold-plated bronze artifacts, many of which are now preserved at the Colombo National Museum. Among them is one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated archaeological treasures: the solid bronze, gold-plated statue of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. Exquisitely cast, it portrays the Bodhisattva seated in the graceful royal ease posture, with the right knee drawn up close to the body while the left leg rests elegantly downward.

The Veheragala Archaeological Site, now known as Siri Sangabo Rajamaha Viharaya, lies along the Anuradhapura–Kahatagasdigiliya Road. Traveling 36 kilometers from Tissa Wewa in Anuradhapura, visitors will find a turn-off marked by a Department of Archaeology signboard. From this junction, a by-road to the right leads 1.8 kilometers to the temple.

The Department of Archaeology has conserved several important ruins here, including an ancient stupa and a pillar inscription. Yet, what makes this site truly remarkable is its connection to one of Sri Lanka’s most celebrated archaeological discoveries.

In 1968, a solid bronze, gold-plated statue of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva was unearthed here, later becoming one of the most iconic images in Sri Lankan art history. Standing 49.8 cm tall, the exquisitely cast statue depicts the Bodhisattva seated in the royal ease posture, with the right knee bent and drawn closer to the body while the left leg rests gracefully downward. The crown of matted hair leans slightly to the right, and empty cavities in the headdress and eyes suggest they once held gems and transparent rock crystals, adding brilliance to its divine presence.

Scholars have debated its dating: while Paranavitana places the statue in the 6th century, most others assign it to the late Anuradhapura period, between the 8th and 10th centuries. Alongside this masterpiece, a seated and a standing gilt-bronze statue were also found at the site.

This Bodhisattva image, along with 51 other bronze masterpieces of Sri Lanka’s classical era, was taken from the Colombo Museum in 1991 for an international exhibition tour. From France and Switzerland to the United States and Australia, the statue was celebrated by leading critics as one of Asia’s most spiritual and powerful religious sculptures. Art historian C. Bolon of the Smithsonian Institution selected the image for the cover of Asian Art magazine in 1993, describing it as “one gem of sculpture in a collection of the most beautiful, spiritual, and powerful images made anywhere in Asia.”

Local folklore enriches the site’s history further. In ancient times, Veheragala was known as Ranpathvila, said to be home to around 600 goldsmiths renowned for crafting delicate gold leaves, or ranpath.

Adding to its significance, the temple is also noted in Kusumsiri Wijeyawardhana’s Sri Lankawe Tampita Vihara, which lists the site as having once housed a Tampita Viharaya (a shrine built on raised wooden pillars). While the original structure no longer survives, the ruins hint at this unique architectural heritage.

Gilt Bronze Solid Cast Seated Buddha statue from : 9th Century discovered from Veheragala now displayed at Colombo National Museum

Gilt Bronze Solid Cast standing Buddha statue from : 9th Century discovered from Veheragala now displayed at Colombo National Museum

Gilt Bronze Solid Cast Head Dress of Buddha statue from : 9th Century discovered from Veheragala now displayed at Colombo National Museum

Gilt Bronze Solid Cast door handle from 9th Century discovered from Veheragala now displayed at Colombo National Museum

A conserved stupa at the Veheragala Siri Sangabo Rajamaha Viharaya

A pillar inscription found at the Veheragala Siri Sangabo Rajamaha Viharaya

Direction to the Veheragala Siri Sangabo Rajamaha Viharaya

A Kema ( natural rock pool) at the Veheragala Siri Sangabo Rajamaha Viharaya

Veheragala Siri Sangabo Rajamaha Viharaya

References

Chandrajeewa, S. (2016) “Veragala Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva: an Inquiry into its Style & Period (The Mahayana Buddhist Bronze Statue in Colombo Museum),” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, 61(1), pp. 69–106.

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