Bahiravakanda Buddha

Long before it became one of Kandy’s most photographed landmarks, Bahirawakanda hill had a considerably darker reputation among local villagers, who once believed it was home to a demon that had to be appeased with human sacrifice.

Gnome Mountain

Bahirawakanda translates roughly to “Gnome Mountain,” a name rooted in local legend rather than the peaceful Buddhist statue now associated with the hill. According to stories once widely believed by surrounding villagers, the hill was home to a “bahirawa,” an evil gnome-like spirit said to devour unsuspecting humans who wandered too close. To appease it, villagers reportedly practised human sacrifice, offering a virgin girl, or in some tellings several, to the spirit in hopes of protection. Over time, as fear of the hill faded, that grim folklore gave way to an entirely different use for the site: a place of Buddhist devotion rather than dread.

A Statue Delayed by Temple Politics

The project’s origins trace to the early 1970s, when land on the hill was donated by Hector Kobbekaduwa, then Minister of Lands, to Venerable Ampitiye Dammarama Thero, a monk of the Amarapura Nikaya, who initially lived in a makeshift dwelling on the site while soliciting funds for construction. The project wasn’t universally welcomed: senior monks connected to the Temple of the Tooth and the Siyam Nikaya reportedly opposed the plan, concerned that a towering new statue on the hillside would visually overshadow the established religious centre of the city below. It took until 1980 for Hinatiyana Dhammaloka, chief monk of the Amarapura Nikaya, to secure the legal rights needed to proceed with construction on Bahirawakanda hill.

Even after that resolution, the statue took years to complete, finally finished in 1992 and formally unveiled on 1 January 1993 by then-President Ranasinghe Premadasa. Standing 88 feet tall, the white statue depicts the Buddha in Dhyana Mudra, the meditation posture associated with his first enlightenment, and has become one of the tallest Buddha statues in Sri Lanka, visible from almost anywhere in Kandy.

Visiting Tips

• Visit early morning or after sunset for cooler temperatures, fewer crowds, and the best lighting conditions.
• Reach the base by tuk-tuk from central Kandy, then expect a roughly 20-minute walk up a steep but manageable path to the statue itself.
• Remove hats and shoes before entering the temple grounds, and consider bringing flowers or lighting an oil lamp as a traditional offering.
• Combine with the Temple of the Tooth and Kandy Lake, both a short distance away, for a fuller day of Kandy sightseeing.

From Feared Hillside to Skyline Icon

Bahirawakanda’s transformation, from a hill villagers avoided out of genuine fear to one of Kandy’s most recognisable and photographed landmarks, mirrors a pattern seen at several Sri Lankan sites where older, pre-Buddhist folklore has gradually been absorbed and reframed by Buddhist religious practice. The gnome legend hasn’t been erased so much as folded into the site’s broader story, a colourful footnote mentioned by local guides rather than a belief anyone still holds with genuine dread. What remains is a place that now serves the opposite function of its old reputation: rather than something to fear and appease, it’s somewhere visitors climb specifically to find calm, take in the view, and reflect, a fairly complete inversion of the hill’s original meaning to the people who once lived in its shadow.

Where It Sits on the Map

Frequently Asked Questions

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