Veheragala Sirisangabo Vihara: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva

SRI LANKA, North Central Province, Anuradhapura

The statue was excavated from the ruins of Veheragala Sirisangabo Vihara in 1968. It dates from a time when Mahayana Buddhism was still a strong presence in Sri Lanka. The slim figure sits gracefully in a variation of the relaxation posture with the left leg pendent and the right leg up. This position causes the body to incline to one side and naturally forces the arm to support it. The left arm rests on the raised knee with the hand in a mudra. The upper body is bare except for a sacred thread and a stole suspended from the left shoulder. The lower body is covered in a long garment, secured at the waist with a decorative belt. Some of the garment fabric is draped over the seat. A tall topknot interwoven with ribbons is inlaid with gems. A few locks of the Bodhisattva’s hair are scattered over the shoulders.