Sirisangabo Raja Maha Viharaya is a Buddhist temple in Veheragala. It is the site where the famous Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue was unearthed.
Veheragala Sirisangabo Viharaya S irisangabo Raja Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: වෙහෙරගල සිරිසංඝබෝ රජමහා විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple in Veheragala situated about 15 km east of Mihintale in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka. It is notable as the location where the famous Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue was unearthed. History The history of this site runs back to the Anuradhapura Period . Several ruins belonging to that period such as a Stupa and a pillar inscription are found on the temple premises. Besides them, several bronze statues and artefacts of Buddhist origin were discovered in 1968 among the ruins of an ancient building of this temple by the then-chief incumbent, Mahamessalave Rathanapala Thera (Chandrajeewa, 2016; Chutiwongs et al., 2007). Bronze Artefacts The bronze artefacts discovered from this temple are currently on display in the Anuradhapura Gallery of Colombo National Museum (Prematilaka & Hewage, 2018). Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Statue This solid-cast gilt bronze represents Avalokiteshvara, a Mahayana Bod…
