5/5 Hemal P. 6 years ago on Google
Kushtaraja
Gala
statue
at
Weligama
can
be
found
on
the
old
main
road,
which
goes
through
the
Weligama
town
and
is
about
12
Km
away
from
the
Matara
town.
To
reach
the
site
coming
form
Galle
you
should
take
the
old
road
before
you
reach
Ahangama
across
the
railway
track.
This
is
turnoff
is
located
adjoining
the
Weligala
Bay
Rest
House.
You
will
see
the
sculpture
on
your
right
just
before
the
second
railway
crossing.
This
statue
is
part
of
the
Kushtarajagala
Viharaya.
This
more
than
life
size
relief
carved
in
solid
rock
is
thought
to
be
one
of
the
best
statues
in
the
Mahayanist
Buddhism
in
Sri
Lanka.
The
origination
of
this
sculpture
is
not
known
but
many
theories
and
folklore
exists
on
the
creation
of
the
statue.
It
is
also
believed
that
this
statue
belongs
to
the
period
of
7-9th
centuries.
Once
a
foreign
king
suffering
from
a
severe
skin
disease
(‘kushta”
in
Singhalese
)
has
landed
in
the
Weligama
bay
and
was
treated
by
a
local
doctor.
This
king
was
restored
to
his
original
strength
and
to
remember
him
(the
“kushta
raja”
or
the
“Kushta
King”
a
image
of
him
was
carved
and
this
was
known
to
be
“Kushta
Raja
Gala”
or
Rock
of
the
Kushta
King.
It
is
argued
that
if
the
story
is
true
then,
the
King
should
have
carved
the
statue
of
the
doctor
as
a
respect
to
him
and
not
vice
versa.
Another
version
of
the
same
story
talks
about
hoe
the
sick
king
made
offering
to
a
certain
god
when
he
was
sick
and
once
he
was
cured
made
a
statue
of
this
god
he
worshipped
as
a
gift.
There
could
be
some
truth
in
the
above
stories
as
Weligama
was
highly
prosperous
city
in
the
ancient
times
and
a
center
of
foreign
trade
as
Weligama
was
used
as
a
harbor
by
foreign
trading
ships.
But
experts
believe
this
statue
is
probably
a
Bodhisattva
Figure
(a
person
who
is
destined
to
become
a
Buddha
in
a
future
life)
or
of
a
god.
The
most
common
belief
is
that
this
represent
the
the
“Awalokitha”
or
the
“Avaloktheeshvara”
Bodhisattva
of
the
Mahayana
Buddhism.
This
is
due
to
the
presence
of
four
meditating
Buddha
figures
on
his
head
dress
and
the
lotus
in
the
hand.
“Avaloktheeshvara”
Bodhisattva
is
one
of
the
most
powerful
bodhisattvas
of
the
Mahayana
Buddhism.
He
is
thought
to
be
the
most
powerful
healers
of
the
mankind.
It
is
interesting
to
note
that
even
the
folklore
about
this
statue
relates
to
a
healing
of
a
king.
A
similar
relief
can
be
found
in
the
“Buduruwagala”
in
the
Wellawaya
area.
Some
also
believe
that
this
is
a
relief
of
the
god
“Natha”
who
is
a
god
worshipped
by
the
Sri
Lankans.
It
is
also
believed
that
the
“Avaloktheeshvara”
Bodhisattva
appeared
in
many
forms
in
Sri
Lanka
and
god
“Natha”
was
one
form.
If
this
is
true
then
the
“Avaloktheeshvara”
Bodhisattva
and
the
god
Natha
would
be
the
same.
Irrespective
of
any
belief
this
statue
is
the
only
remaining
preserved
statue
in
the
wet
zone
and
still
people
come
to
worship
this
statue
to
request
relief
from
diseases.
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