Minister calls for probe into incident involving Avukana Buddha statue
November 27, 2023 11:12 am
Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Vidura Wickremanayake has called for a systematic probe into the incident where the Avukana Buddha statue had been adorned with a robe.
The Department of Archaeology noted that the act of modifying a statue of archaeological significance is subject to legal consequences, as per the provisions of the Antiquities Ordinance.
Accordingly, the Assistant Director of Archaeology in Anuradhapura and the Zonal Officer have been sent to the site in order to gather more information in this regard
Several images were seen in circulation on social media platforms today, showing a group of persons adorning a robe on the Avukana Buddha statue. Some persons were also seen climbing the statue in attempts to adorn the robe.
The Avukana statue, standing over 46 feet tall, is a popular tourist action and is considered to be one of the best examples of a standing statue of the Buddha from ancient Sri Lanka.
It is widely believed to have been constructed in the 5th century, at the behest of King Dhatusena.
