Uththararamaya (Gal Vihara)

"The "Gal Vihara" (Rock Monastery)and known originally as the "Uttararama" (Northern Monastery)created in 12th century during the reign of king Parakramabahu the Great(AD 1153–1186). Comprised of four such carvings, each with an individual pose thought to represent a different stage in Buddha’s life and of different sizes. Carved into the face of a large granite gneiss rock, the images are considered to be some of the best examples of ancient Sinhalese sculpting and carving arts.There are three statues that are of great interest, as it depicts the Lord Buddha in three unique positions. The seated statue shows the Buddha depicting the Dhyana mudra, while the reclining statue depicts the Parinirvana position, and is one of the most intricately sculpted statues, as the depression of the pillow, along with the lotus symbol on the side is still very visible even to this day. The standing image, on the other hand, is believed to be the Lord Buddha depicting an unusual gesture, which has led many archaeologists to believe that it is not the depiction of the Buddha, but his disciple Ananda. The site was also where Parakramabahu I gathered a congregation of monks in order to purify the Buddhist priesthood, and later drew up a code of conduct for them. This code of conduct is recorded in an inscription on the same rock face containing the images of the Buddha. "