Press Releases

Commissioining of an idol of Lord Buddha

July 13, 2015

Recognizing that their shared cultural and civilizational links provided the bedrock of bilateral relations,India and Sri Lanka agreed in the Joint Declaration issued during the State Visit of H.E. the President of Sri Lanka to India in June 2010 that the 2600th year of the attainment of enlightenment by Lord Buddha (Sambuddhatva Jayanthi) would be commemorated through joint activities by the two countries.

On the auspicious occasion of Unduvap Poya and as part of these activities, the High Commission of India would like to announce that the Government of India has commissioned a 16 feet high idol of Lord Buddha in the Sarnath style from the Gupta Period, which is proposed to be installed at the entrance of the International Buddhist Museum complex in Sri Dalada Maligawa in Kandy, Sri Lanka.An agreement to this effect has been signed between the Ministry of External Affairs of theGovernment of India and M/s Icons India for the preparation of the idol. Hon’ble Pradeeep Nilanga Dela Bandara, the Diyawadane Nilame of Sri Dalada Maligawa, has welcomed the proposal to install the Sarnath Buddha statue at the Museum in Kandy.

The Sarnath Buddha idol is an exquisite sculpture based on the famous 5th Century Gupta Period idol from Sarnath, where Buddha preached his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. The idol in the Dharmachakra pravartana mudra (turning the wheel of law) and its pedestal will be carved out of a single piece of beige-colored Chunar sandstone to be sourced from Mirzapur (near Varanasi, India).

Other activitiesforming part of the joint commemoration of the Sambuddhatva Jayanthi include the establishment of an Indian Gallery at the International Buddhist Museum and the organization of an International Buddhist Conference. An expert appointed by the National Museum of India is working on putting together Indian Buddhist artifacts that portray the Buddhist art, culture and heritage of India in its entirety. The process of identifying the important statutes/artifacts related to Buddhism in India has started and the fabrication of replicas is being undertaken. An International Buddhist Conference will also be organized in Kandy early next year (before end March) with the support of the Indian Council of Cultural relations (ICCR). Other joint activities to commemorate the Sambuddhatva Jayanthi are also under consideration of the governments of India and Sri Lanka.