Maligawila

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God Naatha Statue (God Awalokithshwara) in Maligavila God Naatha.jpg
God Naatha Statue (God Awalokithshwara) in Maligavila

Maligawila, or Maligavila is a village in Sri Lanka, approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 mi) south from Monaragala and 9 kilometers (5.6 mi) from Okkampitiya in the Monaragala District. It is the site of several important archaeological pieces, including a free-standing 11 meters (36 ft 1.1 in) or 12 meters (39 ft 4.4 in) tall limestone statue of Buddha, claimed in some quarters to be the tallest free-standing statue of Buddha in the world, though the Avukana Buddha Statue is also said to be taller. [1] [2] This Buddha draws many tourists to the region. [3] It also boasts the Avalokitesvara statue, a 10 meters (32 ft 9.7 in) limestone portrait. These statues, which were discovered in the 1950s and restored between 1989 and 1991, are believed to have been commissioned by the 7th-century prince Agghabodhi. [4] There is additionally a 10th-century historical pillar placed in the 10th year of the rule of Mahinda IV (956-972 AD).

Sri Lanka Island country in South Asia

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia, located in the Indian Ocean to the southwest of the Bay of Bengal and to the southeast of the Arabian Sea. The island is geographically separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. The legislative capital, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, is a suburb of the commercial capital and largest city, Colombo.

Monaragala Town in Uva Province, Sri Lanka

Monaragala is a town located in Monaragala District, Uva Province, Sri Lanka. It is the largest town in Monaragala District and is located 57.3 km (35.6 mi) northwest of Badulla, the capital city of Uva Province. The town of Monaragala is situated about 151 m (495 ft) above sea level on the Colombo-Batticaloa main road.

Monaragala District Administrative District in Uva Province, Sri Lanka

Monaragala is a district in Uva Province of Sri Lanka. It is the 2nd largest of the 25 districts of Sri Lanka, with an area of 5,636 km².

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References

  1. Plunkett, Richard; Brigitte Ellemor; Verity Campbell (2003). Sri Lanka (9 ed.). Lonely Planet. p. 267. ISBN   1-74059-423-1. One of the statues, an 11-m high Buddha, is reckoned to be the world's largest free-standing Buddha figure.
  2. Frey, Elke; Gerhard Lemmer; Jayanthi Namasivayam (2001). Sri Lanka (3 ed.). Hunter Publishing, Inc. p. 146. ISBN   3-88618-229-0. At 12 meters in height, it is almost as tall as that of Aukana in Rajarata, and its head alone weighs around six tons.
  3. Frey, et al. p. 146.
  4. Plunkett et al., 267.