Statue of Padmasambhava is located on a hill top with the beautiful Rewalsar Lake and a colourful town bustling around the lake in Rewalsar. Rewalsar is famous as a Buddhist site in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. Lord Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche in Tibet meditated in Rewalsar in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. Lord Padmasambhava is also known as "Second Buddha".
According to mythology, Guru Padmasambhava was burnt in the same place where the lake is located. The big statue of Guru Padmasambhava is a beautiful attraction and also one of the landmarks in Rewalsar.
Mythology of Statue of Padmasambhava
According to history, Lord Padmasambhava visited Rewalsar to preach the teaching of Buddhism to Mandarava, the daughter of King. He fell in love with the local princess but, the King was not at all happy with this relationship. Lord Padmasambhava was burnt alive by the King in Rewalsar, but to his astonishment Lord Padmasambhava converted that flame into a lake known as Rewalsar Lake and emerged from the lake on Lotus stalk. The King and his ministers astonished by powers of Padmasambhava devoted themselves to teaching of Buddha.
Construction of Statue of Padmasambhava
On April 1, 2012, the monumental Statue of Lord Padmasambhava, measuring 37.5 m (123 ft), was consecrated. It was blessed and inaugurated by the 14th Dalai Lama. The building project was spear-headed and overseen by Wangdor Rinpoche and funded by donations. It took nearly 10 years to complete, with the foundation alone taking 3 years.
The statue was constructed almost entirely by hand by trades-people from the immediate Rewalsar area and by master artists from Nepal and Bhutan. It is made primarily of cement, layered by hand over a skeleton of iron structure and the walls are made of hand-cut stone. The Bhutanese sculptors carved intricate details into the cement. It was then painted by masters from Nepal. The building"s interior is filled with traditional prayer flags and medicine pills made by local craft workers.
Visiting Information for Statue of Padmasambhava
To reach the Statue of Padmasambhava, visitors should reach Mandi and then take buses or taxis to Rewalsar. Rewalsar is around 24km from Mandi. There are regular buses from Mandi to reach Rewalsar.
