Enchanting Heritage

14/09/2023

21/01/2022

𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙰𝙼𝙰𝙷𝙰𝙿𝙰𝚈𝙰 (ʙʀᴀᴢᴇɴ ᴩᴀʟᴀᴄᴇ)

Was built by King Dutugemunu (161-137 BC) with 9 storeys, but later reconstructed to 7 storeys by King Saddhatissa (137-119 BC), and the building was completely destroyed during his period.

It was a wooden structure with granite pillars. It was called ' Loha Pasada' as the roof was covered with bronze tiles. It is believed that it took 6 years for the construction of the building and the plan was brought from the heavens. It is said that lovamahapaya was adorned with corals and precious stones. And the height was 100 ft and consisted of thousand rooms. One side of the building was 400 ft (120 mt) in length.

This was a chapter house of the Mahavihara complex. Monks occupied the rooms from upper story to lower according to their seniority. A chapter house, living quarters for monks, a preaching hall and a shrine room were housed in the building. It was the largest building in the island over a millennium between 155 BC and 993 AD.

The present structure was the remains of the reconstruction done by the King Parakramabahu the great (1153AD- 1186AD) during the Polonnaruwa era. At present can be seen 1600 granite pillars. It shows that the construction and architectural knowledge of high rise buildings 2000 years ago.

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12/01/2022

𝙳𝙰𝙼𝙱𝚄𝙻𝙻𝙰 𝙲𝙰𝚅𝙴 𝚃𝙴𝙼𝙿𝙻𝙴

Dambulla cave temple also known as " Golden temple of Dambulla ". Was declared as a World heritage site by UNESCO in 1991. The temple complex consist of five natural caves with well preserved colourful paintings and images, is considered as the largest collection of cave paintings in the south and southeast Asian regions. There are total of 153 Buddha statues, 3 statues of sri lankan Kings and 4 statues of gods and goddesses.

An inscription near the second entrance says, king Saddhatissa (137-119 BC) donated the cave for the 'Sanga' as a dwelling place and King Walagamba ( Wattagamini Abhaya) , after he became the king for the second time (89-77 BC) turn this in to a Vihara ( shrine room). As while he was ruling the kingdom Anuradhapura in 103 BC, Buddhist monks gave him shelter and helped to organize an army when south Indians invade the kingdom. There are records that several Kings have visited the place and restored the existing caves added status and converted caves to new shrines.
Dambulla rock inscription and Mahavansha says, King Nissankamalla (1187-1196 AD) gold glided Buddha images and constructed 73 Buddha status in Dambulla.
King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747-1782 AD) restored the complex completely, made the third cave as an image house, and introduced his own statue there.
In between several Kings made some Restoration.

Cave No. 1- Devaraja lena.
Supposed to be the oldest shrine complex. It is 15 meters long. Historians believe that the 'recumbent Buddha' statue belonged to the period of 6th to 8th century AD. The paintings in this cave belonged to the Kandyan period (1592-1815 AD). There is a statue of god Vishnu.

Cave No. 2- Maharaja lena.
This is the largest and most spectacular of all. (52×23 meters). There are 60 colorful statues. The statue of King Nissankamalla is at the eastern corner. King Walagamba's statue is at the second entrance. The upright Buddha statue with the dragon arch in front of second entrance belongs to the 8th to 9th centuries AD. There are 2 'Bodhisattva' statues by the side of Buddha statue. Behind the buddha statue, there are 2 statues of God Vishnu in blue color and God Saman in white color. There is a painted Stupa inside with 8 seated Buddha statues around. There are 16 more standing stautes and 40 more seated images in the same cave. The ceiling is fully painted with Buddhist murals of Buddha's images, the story of Buddha and important incidents of the Sri Lankan history. One of the significant and the largest panel of the painting is the 'Mara Parajaya' the defeat of illusions and suppress of craving of the moment of enlightenment of Ascetic Siddhartha.

Cave No. 3- Aluth Maha Vihara.
This shrine was built in 1749 by King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe. His statue with the royal attire is placed here prominently. There are about 57 Buddha statues of standing, seated and reclining. The sealing is full of paintings with seated Buddha images. There is a panel of beautiful forest and 3 figures of Buddha which believe that the forest depicts Himalaya, and the three Buddha figure's represent the past, present and the future.

Cave No. 4- Pachchima Vihara.
In the middle there is a painted stupa of a small size. According to folklore this stupa contains the jewellery of 'Somavathie', the queen of King Walagamba, known as Soma Stupa.

Cave No. 5- Devana Aluth Viharaya.
There are 11 Buddha statues with a large reclining Buddha of 10m in length. This is comparatively a new cave. There are images of gods such as Vishnu, Skanda and Devata Bandara.

Dambulla cave temple can be known as an Art galley or a kandyan school of Art and one of the favourite places among the tourist, because of the colourful paintings and statues.

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01/01/2022

09/11/2021

ISURUMUNIYA

One of the beautiful site situated near by the 'Tisa Veva' (Tank) and a fully fledged Buddhist temple. Historian say this is a part of Vessagiriya. Chronicles say that a healthy man called Aritta ordained as a Buddhist monk with 500 people here. Isurumath means wealthy in Sinhala and due to that this place called Isurumuniya.

When the Sacred Tooth Relic was brought to Sri Lanka by prince Dhantha and princes Hemamala in 309 AD, it was placed at Isurumuniya temple. The temple was built by King Devanampiyathissa (307-267 BC) and was renovated by King Kasyapa (473-491 AD).
And this place is specially famous for the carvings that found in here.

ISURUMUNIYA LOVERS
A very popular sculpture at Isurumuniya, believed as Prince Saliya ( Son of King Dutugamunu) and Ashokamala. Another opinion is that of a soldier and his fiancé. A soldier, who was a high ranker because he was wearing a Saruwalaya. This ancient sculpture was able to represent the facial expressions of romance of the young lovers. The man was with overwhelming happiness to take her fiancé to his lap and the young girl is enjoying the momentum, concern with the social character of a woman in the Sinhalese culture. The artist was able to present all the finer points and two moods joy and coy in one piece of art on a slab of granite.

ROYAL FAMILY
It is carved on a granite plate. There five human figures are carved in here. Archeologists say the seated style of the king is similar to some carvings in Borobudur in Indonesia. The human figure in the centre is believed as King Dutugamunu whos wearing a crown and puna noola around his chest.

THE BATHING ELEPHANTS
There are four elephants in this carving. These elephants are very similar to the carvings in Mallampuram in India.

MAN AND HORSE
It is believed to be the Agni as fire (head of the horse) and the man sitting in the royal posture (Rajaleela) as Vessa Valahaka ( The rain god).

As mentioned earlier this place is a fully fledged Buddhist temple, where devotees can worship the essential features of a temple which are the Stupa, Bodhi tree and the Image house of the Buddha.

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26/10/2021

ABHAYAGIRIYA

Abhayagiriya viharaya complex was a major monastery site in Anuradhapura. The Abhayagiri Stupa is located in this 500 acres land. This is the second largest Stupa in the country and two centuries older than the Jethavanaramaya Stupa.

Abhayagiriya Dagaba was built by King Watta Gamini Abhaya (Walagamba)during his second reign (89-77 BC). According to the Mahavansha the Abhayagiriya name was originated from the names of King Watta Gamini Abhaya and the Jain monk Giri, who lived in the monastery earlier.

Chronicles says that the stupa was built over a foot print of Buddha. There is no bodily relic of the Buddha enshrined in Abhayagiriya stupa, but associated relic, the foot print.
It believed that the early height was 400 feet.
The present height is 246 feet and the base is in 355 feet in diameter. The square enclosure is 35 feet in height. The stone paved terrace is 587 square feet. The Stupa covers 14 acres of land.
The four cardinal points (Vahalkada) was added by King Gajabahu (114-136 AD). Several inscriptions show that earlier kings have restored and added some parts to decorate it. King Parakramabahu the great did the last restoration in the 12th century AD.

Recent excavations reveal that the stupa has been built on the foundation after filling a mixture of pebbles, quartz, rubbles, on the top with bedrock and hardening it by pressing.
A fine system of water management can be seen in the premises and the water collected on the stone laid terrace, send to the near by well through closed channels and underground conduits.

Abhayagiriya Stupa stands today as an important monument as it shows the old elements of a Stupa.

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