The Aukana Buddha statue is the tallest ancient Buddhist sculpture, standing at a height of 11.36 metres. It is in the Cultural Triangle 30 km northwest to Dambulla near the Kala Weva tank and visiting is considered high on one of the important things to do in Sri Lanka.
The Posture and Proportion
The statue of Aukana stands straight in a pose known as “Asisa Mudra” or the “blessing posture.” The carving spans almost to 270 degrees, connected to a boulder at the back. The carving is intricate and strives to showcase the Buddha’s form under the folds of his robes.
The alignment of the statue had been so focused on detail that a raindrop dripping off the nose would land into a prior prepared depression on the rock pedestal right between the toes.
The Art Style
The design of the statue sets it to have been carved sometime in the 8th century. The art style is said to connect it to the Anuradhapura School of Art and may have been constructed during the reign of King Datusena but there are discrepancies and other theories.
The Sculpture Competition
There is another story which stems from the from another very similar, yet incomplete statue of a standing Buddha in an area known as Sasseruwa that they were both carved in a competition where the carver of the Aukana statue won.
The Aukana statue can be seen from above by flying with Cinnamon Air on their Cultural Triangle tour.
Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life. Google+