Kurunegala Vajrapani Statue Kurunegala Vajrapani Statue (Sinhala: කුරුණෑගල වජ්රපානි ප්රථිමාව) is a small bronze discovered from Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. It is presently on the display at the Colombo National Museum . The statue is 39 cm tall and represents Vajrapani, a Bodhisattva of Mahayana Buddhism (Chutiwongs et al., 2011). It has been dated by scholars to the 9th century A.D. (Chutiwongs et al., 2011). The statue stands in the conventional erect pose. Both hands are half-raised and the Vitarka-mudra is shown by the right hand while the left hand holds a Vajra (the thunderbolt), the symbol of light and devastating power (Chutiwongs et al., 2011). The upper body is naked but highly ornamented with jewellery such as triple necklaces and bejewelled belly-band, girdle and anklets (Chutiwongs et al., 2011). The crown is unique and adorned with the motif of a monster's head known as Kirtimukha ( Chutiwongs et al., 2011) . A sacred thread ( Upavita ) runs down from the left shoulder to the knee. The lower body …
