Perambalur Buddhas

Thiyaganur Buddha temple
Image of the Buddha in an open farm
Shown within Tamil Nadu
Basic information
Location	Salem district, Tamil Nadu
Geographic coordinates	11°34′33″N 78°46′42″E / 11.57583°N 78.77833°E / 11.57583; 78.77833Coordinates: 11°34′33″N 78°46′42″E / 11.57583°N 78.77833°E / 11.57583; 78.77833
Affiliation	Buddhism
Country	India

The Perambalur Buddhas (or Thiyaganur Buddha statues or Thiyaganur Buddha temple) are a set of historic Buddhist images found in Thiyaganur, a village in Perambalur district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. There are two 6 ft (1.8 m) images of Buddha in sitting posture, one of which is enshrined in a small temple and various other images scattered in the village. The temple is the only extant Buddhist temple in the state. One of the images in a private farm was later housed in a meditation hall built during 2013 with the help of public contributions. Historians identify the images to the 11th century. With the presence of the images, Thyaganur is counted among Madurai, Kanchipuram, Nagapattinam, Uraiyur, Kaveripattinam and Perambalur among famous Buddhist centres in Tamil Nadu. The villagers administer the temple and practise worship similar to Hindu worship practises.

Buddhism was popular in the region in modern-day Tamil Nadu around the 3rd century BCE during the rule of Asoka. It flourished under various ruling regimes until the advent of Bhakti movement during the 6th-9th centuries when the royal patronage decreased. During the rule of Chola emperor Raja Raja Chola, there were endowments to Buddhist shrines in Nagapattinam during the 11th century. The bronze Buddhist images found around Nagapattinam region dating back to 13th century and the religious texts by eminent Buddhist during the time indicate the presence of the religion during the period. Historians also attribute that Buddhism was not only restricted to big cities like Kanchipuram and Madurai, but smaller ones like Perambalur where the images are present. The set of images in the village are approximately dated to 11th century. Thyaganur is counted among Madurai, Kanchipuram, Nagapattinam, Uraiyur, Kaveripattinam and Perambalur among famous Buddhist centres in Tamil Nadu.