Gal Viharaya, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

Gal Vihara, part of Parakramabahu I's northern monastery, is a collection of exquisite Buddha statues that represents the pinnacle of Sinhalese rock carving. Many visitors may recognize the gigantic reclining Buddha statue, which has adorned the cover of countless travel books to the country, but the complex really houses four unique Buddha statues, all cut from one large slab of granite. At one time, each was housed in its own enclosure.

The standing Buddha stands 7 meters tall and is considered the best in the group. Because of the odd crossed arms and sorrowful facial expression, it was thought to be an image of the Buddha's disciple Ananda, grieving for his master's departure for nirvana, as the reclining image is next to it. The fact that it had its own enclosure, as well as the discovery of other images with the same arm posture, disproved this notion, and it is now recognized that all of the images are of the Buddha.

The 14-meter-long reclining Buddha is shown entering parinirvana (nirvana after death) The attention to detail is astounding, particularly the tiny depression in the cushion under the head and the lotus emblems on the pillow end, and the soles of Buddha's feet.

The seated Buddha on the far left is surrounded by four other Buddhas in the Torana (ornamental entryway), implying that this is a representation of the Five Dhyani Buddhas. The sculptures make excellent use of the rock's natural marbling.

The fourth Buddha in the little rock hollow is smaller and of worse quality than the others.

Location: X283+CXG, Nissankamallapura, Sri Lanka