Lankans sculpt their own Bamiyan Buddha

Following the destruction of Buddha statue in Pakistan, Lankan Buddhists are sculpting a Buddha statue to ensure the continuation of an ancient tradition, reports PK Balachandran.

Following the wanton destruction of gigantic statues of the Buddha by Islamic militants in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Sri Lankan Buddhists are sculpting a 67.5 ft tall Buddha statue which will fill the void and ensure the continuation of an ancient tradition.

HT Image

Under the watchful eyes of the Venerable Egodamulle Amaramoli Nayaka Thero of the Amarapura Yukthika Nikaya, an Indian sculptor, Muthiah Stapathy, is hewing the Buddha image out of the rock at Rambodagalla in Kurunegala district, north of Colombo.

Work on the SLRs 3.5 million project began on September 13, 2003. It was the former Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Nirupama Rao, who had suggested that the architect be Muthiah Stapathy from Tamil Nadu, who had built many temples in South India.

The Sunday Times reported that this magnificent work of art would be completed by 2009.

It was in 2001 that the Taliban fired artillery shells to blow up the 55 metre tall Buddha statue at Bamiyan in Afghanistan and hurt the sentiments of all Buddhists and art lovers. Twenty two days ago, Pakistani Islamic militants, who called themselves "Religious warriors" used explosives to blast a portion of the seven metre Buddha statue in the Swat valley in North Western Pakistan. The militants, who attacked the statue gain on Saturday, damaged the head and shoulders.

The Swat Buddha is considered to be one of the finest specimens of Gandhara art. Historians think that the statue was erected between the 6th and 11th centuries after Christ.