Bahirawakanda and Buddha Statue (Kandy) Bahirawakanda (Sinhala: බහිරවකන්ද සහ බුද්ධ ප්රථිමාව) is a mountain [600 m (1,965.5 ft. amsl)] located west of Kandy town in Central Province, Sri Lanka. Presently, this site has gained recognition among people due to the massive Buddha statue erected on its summit. Name
In the Sinhala language, Bahirawa-kanda means "the mountain of Bahirawa". According to local belief, Bahirawa is a spirit controlling the mineral sources (Abeyawardana, 2004). When commencing a new construction such as a house, some people offer a Bahirawa Puja to this spirit as a customary practice (Abeyawardana, 2004). There are several stories explaining how Bahirawakanda Mountain got its name. According to one story, this mountain once had a shrine dedicated to Bahirawa. History of Bahirawakanda Viharaya The Bahirawakanda Viharaya, also known as Sri Maha Bodhi Viharaya, on the summit of the mountain has been established on land donated in the early 1970s to late Buddhist monk Ampitiye Dhammarama Thera of Ama…
