Reclining Buddha

Gal Vihara, Polonnaruwa

This is the rightmost figure at Gal Vihara. The entire statue is 14m (46 ft) long, perhaps not coincidentally the height of the colossal standing Buddha at Lankatilaka. His face, seen in close-up here, is serene and peaceful, resting his acorn-shaped (sic) head upon a bolster. The natural striations of the rock have been used to good effect in order to indicate the subtle folds of the Buddha's gown. Probably this statue represents the Buddha in gentle Parinirvana, although it has also been interpreted as simply a sleeping Buddha.