Statue of Samadhi

The statue of Samadhi is considered one of the best sculptures of Anuradhapura time. It is believed to be done during the 3rd or 4th century. It is made of dolomite marble and is 2.21 meters high. This statue was found at the current location in 1886 with ground damage to the nose. Then the nose was erected and reconstructed. In 1914, it was damaged by treasure hunters and rebuilt.

The statue's eyes are empty indicating they were impressed with crystal or gemstones. It is unclear if this and the second statue were brought from another vihara or were originally kept here.

It is said that when you look at the statue's face from three sides they show 3 different features. Looking at the profile of the left and right face they show a slight sadness and a slightly smiling face. Looking from the forehead, the face shows neutral features.

At present this carving is covered by a concrete structure which has somewhat destroyed the beauty of this statue. Even the reconstruction of the nose has not been a success that seems very artificial.

Next to the Samadhi statue is the ruins of an image house called the Bodhisattva Image House. According to Maha Vamsa, the great chronicler of Sri Lanka, King Dhatusena (459-477) is said to have built an image house for the Maithree Bodhisattva left at the shrine of Abhayagiriya Bodhi and decorated in royal clothes. These remains are believed to be the house of the image built by King Dhatusena. An image of Bodhisattva limestone buried in the rubble dating to the 5th century was found.