Pothgul Vehera Statue
Statue of King Parakramabahu ?
Pothgul Vehera |
This beautifully carved statue stands 11½ feet (3.5 metres) in height
and carved in to a semi-circular rock. Popular belief is that this is the statue
of king Parakramabahu (1153-1186). Another belief is that this
is a statue of an Indian high priest (probably “Kapila” of “Pulasthi”).
The long beard and the moustache, the hair, the clothing, and the body with
a slightly large stomach are not what you would expect from a statue of a great
king.
Pothgul Vehera |
Irrespective of who this represent, this is a quite beautiful and unique
statue showing the highest level of craftsmanship of the rock carving engineers
of that time.
This statue can be reached by travelling about 1 ½ kilometres along
the Parakrama Samudraya dam. There is a small unidentified and destroyed Chethya closer to
this statue. It is believed
by some that this is the burial ground of king Parakramabahu and this stupa
holds the remains of the king.
Articles
The mystery figure of Polonnaruwa - Daily Mirror, October 18, 2004
November 15, 2007
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