Gal Vihara is a group of Buddha images, likely marking the high point of Sinhalese rock carving.
4 Buddha statues carved into a single large granite slab. They were originally part of the Alahana Pirivena monastic complex.
The sockets cut into the rock behind the statues show where wooden beams would have been inserted, giving each statue its own enclosure.
The reclining Buddha is 80’ long and depicts entering parinirvana (nirvana-after-death). One foot is slightly behind the other, a sign that Buddha is not resting, but is dead.
The standing Buddha is 23′ tall and is thought to represent the Buddha in the weeks following his enlightenment.
The seated Buddha on the far left has four further Buddhas depicted on the gateway above, making this a probable depiction of the Five Dhyani Buddhas.
They date back to the 12th century during the reign of King Parakramabahu I.
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