Work / monument · monument

Gal Vihara

12th century · 12th century · Also known as Uttararama

The Gal Vihara is a rock temple at Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka, made under King Parakramabahu I in the 12th century. Four large images of the Buddha, two seated, one standing and one reclining about 14 metres long, are carved into a single granite outcrop. It is one of the finest works of Sinhalese sculpture and part of the World Heritage Site of Polonnaruwa.

Gal Vihara
Image: Singhalawap · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Polonnaruwa Kingdom

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Gal Vihara. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gal-vihara
MLA
“Gal Vihara.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gal-vihara. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Gal Vihara.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gal-vihara.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Gal Vihara’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/gal-vihara (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻