Buddhism and Sri Lanka

According to Sri Lankan chronicles, Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century B.C. by Arhant Mahinda, during the reign of King Devanampiya Tissa.

Sri Lankan Inscriptions

The earliest trace of epigraphy in South Asia is said to be found in Sri Lanka. A piece of pottery, dated to circa the 4th century B.C. has been discovered from the Anuradhapura citadel.

Architecture of Sri Lanka

The architecture of Sri lanka has a long history and shows diversed forms and styles, mainly infuenced by their religions and traditional beliefs.

Sri Lankan Antiquities

Inherited from the past, Sri Lanka has a large number of antiques with cultural and historical significance which reflects the glory of past era.

Visit Sri Lanka

Located in the northern waters of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is an island blessed with a large number of attractons which has made the country an ideal destination for the tourism.

Saturday, 26 October 2019

Carthigasen Memorial, Ratnapura

Carthigasen Tombstone Memorial
The Carthigasen Memorial is a tombstone memorial located in Ratnapura town, Sri Lanka. It has been erected in memory of the late Mr, S. T. Carthigasen, a district engineer who had sacrificed his life in the 1913 flood occurred in the Ratnaputa town. 

History
S. T. Carthigasen was a contemporary of D.R. Wijewardene, a Sri Lankan press baron and a leader in the Sri Lankan independence movement. They were Ceylonese student at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom during their student days. After returning home, Carthigasen joined the Public Works Department of Ceylon and started his career as a district engineer. However, a year after his return, Carthigasen marked the end of his life while attempting to rescue some people during the Ratnapura flood in October, 1913. To commemorate his death, a monolith was erected on the wayside of Ratnapura - Colombo road , near the place where he drowned.

The inscription of the memorial can be read as follows,
"In memory of S. T. Carthigasen, District Engineer, P. W. D., who in the flood of 1913, near this spot gave up his life in rescuing others."

Location Map

This page was last updated on 26 October 2019

Buduruwagala Archaeological Museum

Archaeological Museum of Buduruwagala
The Archaeological Museum of Buduruwagala (Sinhala: බුදුරුවගල කෞතුකාගාරය, Tamil: புதுருவாகல நூதனசாலை), Sri Lanka is one of the Regional Museums Administered by the Department of Archaeology. It is situated on the wayside of Wellawaya-Thanamalwila road approximately 5 km distance from Wellawaya town.
 
History
The museum was established in 1988 to display archaeologically and culturally valuable items in the Uva Province (Rambukwella, 2014).

Artefacts
The museum preserves a collection of artefacts mainly recovered from the Uva Province. Antiquities with the archaeological and historical value which belong to the Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy periods are also exhibited in the museum.


References
1) Rambukwella, M.W.C.N.K., 2014. Heritage representation in culturally diverse societies: a case study of the Colombo National Museum in Sri Lanka (Doctoral dissertation, School of Museum Studies). p.417.

Location Map
This page was last updated on 14 January 2023

Monday, 21 October 2019

Sun Moon Carved Rock, Ganemulla

Sun Moon carved rock at Ganemulla
The Sun Moon Carved Rock (also known as Ira Handa Gala) is a rock with the marks of the Sun & Moon situated in the vicinity of Ganemulla town in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. Located near the Ulukade junction the site can be reached by traveling along the Kadawatha - Ganemulla road about 650 m distance from the Ganemulla bus stand.

Folklore
Ira Handa Gala, Ganemulla
According to local beliefs, this rock has been inscribed during the 15th century A.D. to denote a boundary. Presently, it is situated in a non-cultivating fallow land.

A protected monument
The Sun & Moon carved boundary rock situated in the Grama Niladhari Division of Galahitiyawa in the Divisional Secretariat Division of Gampaha is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government gazette notification published on 22 November 2002.

References
1) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka: No: 1264. 22 November 2002.

Location Map
This page was last updated on 11 April 2021
For a complete tourist map follow this link: Lankapradeepa Tourist Map

Sunday, 20 October 2019

Henarathgoda Old Railway Station

Henarathgoda Old Railway Station
Henarathgoda Railway Station (Sinhala: හෙනරත්ගොඩ පැරණි දුම්රිය ස්ථානය, ගම්පහ, Tamil: ஹெனரத்கொட புகையிரத நிலையம்) is one of earliest railway stations in Sri Lanka. It is presently situated in the vicinity of Gampaha Railway Station in the middle of Gampaha town.

History
Henarathgoda Old Railway Station
In the 19th century, the British rulers commenced the railway service in Sri Lanka for planters to facilitate the transportation of their harvest from inland to the seaport located in Colombo (Kesavan et al., 2015). On 3 August 1858, the then Ceylon Governor, Henry George Ward (1855-1860 A.D.) commenced the construction of the first railway line in the country to be run between Colombo and Ambepussa (Abeysinghe, 2016).

After the completion, the first train transportation happened between Colombo and Ambepussa on 27 December 1864 (Abeysinghe, 2016). Besides the stations at Colombo (present Colombo Terminus Railway Station) and Ambepussa, three more stations at Mahara (present Ragama), Henarathgoda (present Gampaha) and Veyangoda were completed along the railway line in 1866 (CGR, 1964). In 1867, the Railway Station at Peradeniya was built.

A protected monument
The Building that accommodated the old Henerathgoda Railway Station in the Gampaha town situated within the region of 223 Medagama I, Grama Niladhari in the Gampaha Divisional Secretariat Division is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government gazette notification published on 13 February 2009.

References
1) Abeysinghe, A.H.M.S.P., 2016. ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ දුම්රිය කාර්මික පුරාවිද්‍යාව; නව මානයක් කරා රැගෙන යමු. Puraveda 2016.
2) CGR, 1964. Ceylon Government Railway: One hundred years, 1864-1964, Colombo. p.19.
3) Kesavan, R.A., Chandrakumar, C., Kulatunga, A.K., Gowrynathan, J., Rajapaksha, R.T.D., Senewiratne, R.K.G.D.M. and Laguleshwaran, D., 150 Years of Sri Lankan Railways: Evaluation of the Services from Employee and Customer Perspectives. International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering. Volume 5, Issue 5.
4) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka: No: 1589. 13 February 2009. p.192.

Location Map
This page was last updated on 27 June 2022

Mangalagama Ambalama

Mangalagama Ambalama
The Mangalagama Ambalama is an old wayside rest situated near Mangalagama Tempita Viharaya in Kegalle District, Sri Lanka. The site can be reached by traveling along the Colombo - Kandy main road about 7.2 km distance from the Kegalle bus stand.

History
Ambalamas are traditional resting places built by locals to accommodate wayfarers who were travelling to distant places. They were also used as a place for people to gather, hold meetings and serve as a public place in society. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, Ambalamas were spread all over the country. The Ambalama at Mangalagama is believed to have been built in the 18th century (De Silva & Chandrasekara, 2009).

The structure
The Ambalama building is rectangular in shape has been built by erecting sixteen pillars (De Silva & Chandrasekara, 2009). The roof is covered with flat clay-tiles and supported by the twelve and four pillars fixed on the ground in two concentric tiers. Connecting the outer twelve pillars, a short wall goes around the structure. The pillar capitals are made of wood and decorated with Pekada carvings (De Silva & Chandrasekara, 2009). The four sided roof with the elevated middle portion has a short ridge decorated with two clay pots. Some clay artifacts recovered from the Mangalagama Ambalama are presently on the display at the Archaeological Museum of Dedigama.

A protected monument
The Mangalagama Ambalama situated in Mangalagama village in the Divisional Secretary’s Division of Rambukkana is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government gazette notification published on 15 March 1974.

References
1) De Silva, N.; Chandrasekara, D.P., 2009. Heritage Buildings of Sri Lanka. Colombo: The National Trust Sri Lanka, ISBN: 978-955-0093-01-4.  p.169.
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka: No: 103. 15 March 1974.

Location Map
This page was last updated on 2 January 2022
For a complete tourist map follow this link: Lankapradeepa Tourist Map

Deduru Oya Reservoir

Deduru Oya Reservoir
Deduru Oya Reservoir is a hydroelectric and irrigation reservoir situated in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka (Samarakoon et al., 2017).

Deduru Oya Reservoir Project
The Deduru Oya Project is a multipurpose water resource management project carried out by the Ministry of Irrigation (Mishra et al., 2017). The project mainly aimed to improve the livelihood of farmers by increasing the productivity of land by extending the Deduru Oya river water into more regions and to establish a hydro-electric power plant (Samarakoon et al., 2017; Sampath et al., 2014).

Deduru Oya river
Deduru Oya ReservoirOriginated from the western slopes of the Kandy-Matale mountains, Deduru Oya is the fourth largest river basin in the country (Samarakoon et al., 2017). The dam which is an earth-filled type was constructed across the Deduru Oya river at about 300 m upstream of the existing Ridi Bendi Ella anicut (Mishra et al., 2017; Samarakoon et al., 2017). The 2.4 km long dam inundated about 2000 ha. of land and had displaced more than 1100 families (Jayasiri et al., 2018; Mishra et al., 2017).

The completed reservoir was declared open on 22 November 2014 by the then President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

  • Reservoir data

    Length of bund: 2400 m
    Bund height (Ave.): 17 m
    Capacity :  75x106 m3
    Full supply level: 70.79 m (M.S.L.)
    Area at full supply level: 1957 ha
    High flood level: 71.32 m (M.S.L.)
    Bund top level : 73.68 m (M.S.L.)
    Catchment area: 1400 km2
    Command area: 12000 ha
  • Sluice & spill data

    No of Channels: Two (left & right)
    Sill level: [65.1 m (left), 67.5 m (right) M.S.L.]
    Length of channel: 44 km (left), 36.7 km (right)
    Discharge: 7 m3/s (left), 8.5 m3/s (right)
    Size of gate: 1.5x2.0 m 2 Nos (left), 1.7x2.0 m 2 Nos (right)
    Radial gate: 8.1x8.5 m 8 Nos
    Scour gate: 1.8x1.6 m 2 Nos
    Power house capacity: 1.5 M.W.




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References
1) Jayasiri, M.M.J.G.C.N., Diyawadana, D.M.N., Samarakoon, S.M.L.D., Pathmarajah, S. and Dayawansa, N.D.K., 2018. A gendered analysis on adaptation to resettlement stress: case studies from Deduru Oya reservoir project in Sri Lanka. Tropical Agricultural Research, 29(4), pp.348-360.
2) Mishra, B.K., Herath, S., Sampath, D.S., Fukushi, K. and Weerakoon, S.B., 2017. Modeling water allocation options in Deduru Oya reservoir system, Sri Lanka. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 3(2), pp.181-191.
3) Samarakoon, S.M.L.D., Dayawansa, N.D.K. and Gunawardena, E.R.N., 2017. Land use changes resulting from construction of Deduru oya reservoir and its’ impacts on livelihood. Tropical Agricultural Research, 28(2). pp.162-174.
4) Sampath, D., Weerakoon, S., Mishra, B. and Herath, S., 2014. Analysis of the Diversion Requirements from the Deduru Oya Reservoir in Sri Lanka. International Journal of Surface and Groundwater Management Vol. 01, No. 02. pp. 74-76.

Location Map
This page was last updated on 27 March 2022
For a complete tourist map follow this link: Lankapradeepa Tourist Map

Saturday, 19 October 2019

St. Paul's Church, Kandy

St. Paul's Church, Kandy
St. Paul's Church (Sinhala: මහනුවර ශාන්ත පාවුළු දේවස්ථානය) is an Anglican church situated within the premises of Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

History
With the downfall of the Kandyan Kingdom, Sri Lanka fell into the hands of the British empire in 1815, and survived as a colonial country till 1948. When the British rulers wanted to built a church in Kandy for Christians, the King of Great Britain, George III (1760-1820 A.D.) had advised them to built it near the Temple of Tooth, the Buddhist shrine which houses the Tooth Relic of Buddha (Rajapakse, 2016).

Construction of a church near to the Temple of the Tooth and the Royal Audience Hall (the "Magul Maduwa") is said to be had made some allegations among the Buddhists, but the church authorities at the time had justified their decision by saying that the Christian judges who are responsible for the administration of justice have to take oaths before trials and therefore, a place like a church is needed for them to carry out their works (Abeywardana, 2004).

Construction work of the church was commenced on 16 March 1843, in a stretch of land called Alakolamaditta (Abeywardana, 2004; De Silva & Chandrasekara, 2009). The foundation stone of the church was laid by George Spencer, the then Bishop of Madras [(present Chennai in Tamil Nadu) Rajapakse, 2016]. Although, it was opened for the worship in 1846, the church was formally consecrated on 25 January 1853 (on St. Paul’s Day) as St. Paul’s Church, by the first Bishop of Colombo, James Chapman (Rajapakse, 2016). The church was altered and enlarged in 1878 and 1928 (De Silva & Chandrasekara, 2009).

A school by the name of St. Paul's Collage was also established in 1879, in the church premises but it was shifted out in the beginning of the 1990's, when the land including the church was demarcated for the Kandy Sacred City and the Temple of Tooth. The moved school was re-established at Asgiriya in Kandy by the name of Wariyapola Sumangala Vidyalaya (Abeywardana, 2004).

Church
The form of the original St. Paul's Church building differs from the present church building which is cruciform in shape (De Silva & Chandrasekara, 2009). Roughly, the building is 51.3 m long and 34.8 m wide (Rajapakse, 2016). In front of the building is a tower shape portico adorned with Gothic decorations. The square shaped tower which is topped with battlements is rising upward from the west part of the building. The entrance door is about 3 m wide and makes the access to the praying hall. The front screen of the praying hall which is known as "Rude Serwn Screen" is decorated with wooden frames and carvings of Gothic style. The west gallery of the church was rebuilt in 1953 (De Silva & Chandrasekara, 2009).

The east window of St. Paul's Church which is believed to be the oldest stained glass window in Sri Lanka (Coningham & Lewer, 1999) is considered as an excellent work of art in stained glass. It was added to the church in 1874 by the widow of Laurence St. George Carey, a tea planter on Le Vallon Estate, Pupuressa. Events related to Jesus Christ such as Crucifixion, the Ascension, the Angel in the Tomb and the Nativity have been nicely depicted in separate frames of the window.

Incidents
On 25 January 1998, LTTE rebels (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam: a militant group designated as a terrorist organization) exploded a massive truck bomb inside the Temple of the Tooth premises, killing about 17 people (Coningham & Lewer, 1999). The power of the bomb caused extensive damages to neighboring buildings including the St. Paul's Church (Coningham & Lewer, 1999)

A protected monument
The St. Paul's Church located at no.10 of Deva Veediya in Kandy town in the Divisional Secretary’s Division of Gangawata Koralaya, is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government Gazette notification published on 8 July 2005.

References
1) Abeywardana, H.A.P., 2004. Heritage of Kandurata: Major natural, cultural and historic sites. Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka. p.48.
2) Coningham, R. and Lewer, N., 1999. Paradise Lost: the bombing of the Temple of the Tooth—a UNESCO World Heritage site in Sri Lanka. Antiquity, 73(282), pp.857-866.
3) De Silva, N.; Chandrasekara, D.P., 2009. Heritage buildings of Sri Lanka. Colombo: The National Trust Sri Lanka, ISBN: 978-955-0093-01-4.  p.131.
4) Rajapakse, S., 2016. Pauranika Sthana Ha Smaraka: Mahanuwara Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. ISBN:955-9159-34-8. pp.19-21.
5) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1401. 8 July 2005.

Location Map
This page was last updated on 2 July 2022

Sunday, 13 October 2019

Kumara Pokuna

Kumara Pokuna
The Kumara Pokuna (Sinhala: කුමාර පොකුණ) is a royal bath situated in the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. It is located to the southeast of the Council Chamber of Parakramabahu I.

History
The great chronicle, Mahawamsa records this pond as "Sila Pokkharani" built by King Parakramabahu I [(1153-1186 A.D.) Ray, 1960]. Although the site is located outside of the citadel, it may have belonged to King Parakramabahu's royal park named "Nandana Uyana".

Pond
Kumara Pokuna
The pond which is built with a cruciform ground plan has been finished with elegantly smoothed stone slabs. The pond is about 44 ft. long and 38 ft. wide at the surface level and its dimension is reducing toward the bottom of the pond (Ray, 1960). A flight of steps on the western side of the pond provides the access to the bath. The water which comes from the moat at the foot of the citadel wall reaches the pond along an underground passage and falls into the pond through dragon-mouthed conduits fixed on the inner walls (Ray, 1960). The used water is drained off through a specific outlet which is controlled with a stone nail (Wikramagamage, 2004).

The ruins of the moulded platform of a small pavilion which are located south of the pond are thought to be the "Salu Mandapaya" (the changing room) for those who were privileged to use this bath (Paranavitana, 1950; Ray, 1960; Wikramagamage, 2004). An elegantly carved Sandakada Pahana (a moonstone) can be seen at the entrance of this pavilion (Wikramagamage, 2004).

Kumara Pokuna, Polonnaruwa Kumara Pokuna, Polonnaruwa

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Attribution
1) Polonnaruwa-Kumara Pokuna (3) by Ji-Elle is licensed under CC BY SA 3.0
2) Kumara Pukuna 02 by Bgag is licensed under CC BY SA 3.0
3) Polonnaruwa-Kumara Pokuna (5) by Ji-Elle is licensed under CC BY SA 3.0

References
1) Paranavitana, S. 1950. Guide to Polonnaruwa. Govt Press, Colombo. pp.9-10.
2) Ray, H. C. (Editor in Chief), 1960. University of Ceylon: History of Ceylon (Vol 1, part II). Ceylon University Press. p.603.
3) Wikramagamage, C., 2004. Heritage of Rajarata: Major natural, cultural and historic sites. Colombo. Central Bank of Sri Lanka. pp.207-208.

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This page was last updated on 14 November 2022

Pabalu Vehera

Pabalu Vehera
Pabalu Vehera is a ruined Buddhist monastery located in the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. It is located in the south of the main street which starts from the eastern gate.

History
There is no evidence to prove the exact builder or the ancient name of this monastery. However, it is believed that the Pabalu Vehera could be the Stupa which is supposed to have been built by Queen Rupavathi, a consort of King Parakramabahu I [(1153-1186 A.D.) Vanarathana, 1990].

Pabalu Vehera
Pabalu Vehera
Presently, this site including the large Stupa is called "Pabalu Vehera" (meaning: the beads Stupa/temple). This name may have been attached to this monastic complex, owing to the discovery of a large number of beads in the vicinity around the Stupa.

Several image houses, each comprising images in different postures, have been built around the Stupa. The image houses vary in size and the largest of them houses an image of a reclining Buddha. At the south of the Stupa is a narrow staircase in three flights providing access to the top of the basal tiers. During the excavations, a round stone and the "Yupa" with melted iron fragments on them had been found by archaeologists (Fernando, 1990).

Pabalu Vehera copper plaque
A stone slab used as a deposit container was found from Pabalu Vehera along with several other objects such as bronzes, reliquaries, a miniature Stupa and beads (Ślączka, 2007). The slab had nine regular square compartments and one of them contained a copper plaque inscribed with a Sanskrit inscription of two lines (Ślączka, 2007). 

  • Pabalu Vehera Sanskrit Inscription

    Period: 9-10th centuries A.D.
    Script: Sinhala
    Language: Sanskrit


    Transcript : (1) Om manipa (2) (dme) sv(o)sti
    Translation: Translation is difficult as it contains mysterious words.
    Citation: Dhammaratana, 2000.

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According to Dhammaratana, this inscription is an invocation address to Tara, a Tantric goddess who was widely worshipped in Sri Lanka during the 9-10 centuries A.D. (Dhammaratana, 2000).

Pabalu Vehera, Polonnaruwa Pabalu Vehera, Polonnaruwa Pabalu Vehera, Polonnaruwa Pabalu Vehera, Polonnaruwa

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References
1) Dhammaratana, I., 2000. Sanskrit Inscriptions in Sri Lanka: A thesis submitted to the University of Pune in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sanskrit. Department of Sanskrit & Prakrit Languages, University of Pune, India. pp.391-394.
2) Fernando, W.B.M., 1990. History of the Department of Archaeology, 1930-1950. Wijesekara, N. (Editor in chief). Archaeological Department centenary (1890-1990): Commemorative series: Volume I: History of the Department of Archaeology. Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka). p.101.
3) Ślączka, A.A., 2007. Temple consecration rituals in ancient India: text and archaeology (Vol. 26). Brill. pp.382-383.
4) Vanarathana, K., 1990. Sculpture and carvings of Sri Lanka from the 1st to 5th century A.D. Archaeological Department Centenary (1890-1990): Commemorative Series: Vol. IV: Sculpture. p.32.

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This page was last updated on 12 November 2022

Saturday, 12 October 2019

Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya

Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya
Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: කෝට්ටේ රජ මහා විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated in Pitakotte in Colombo District, Sri Lanka.

History
Kotte Viharaya was the main religious centre of the Kotte Kingdom during the 15 century and it is described in detail in several Sandesha Kavya (poetic literature) of the era. The temple was majorly developed under the patronage of King Parakramabahu VI [(1412-1467 A.D.) Manathunga, 2016; Rajapakshe et al., 2018]. This temple is mentioned in the 15th-century Sinhalese text Nampotha as "Jayawardhana Kottayehi Oth Pilima Geya" & "Shanmukha Devalaya". The Oth Pilima Geya (the house of the reclining statue) is believed to be the image house (with the reclining Buddha statue) of the old Kotte temple built by King Parakramabahu VI while the shrine in front of it, is believed to be the Shanmukha Devalaya.

At the time, the temple is said to be completed in all aspects including a three-storeyed Temple of the Tooth (for the Tooth Relic of the Buddha), a Stupa, a Bodhi tree, an image house, and a Pohoya Geya (Chapter House). It was located near the royal palace of Kotte and therefore, received much patronage from the kings of the Kotte Kingdom. However, with the downfall of the kingdom, the temple confronted invasions by the Portuguese as well as the Dutch (Rajapakshe et al., 2018; Sarma, 2007). During the Dutch period, the temple was completely destroyed.

The destroyed temple was re-established by Pilane Buddha Rakkhitha Thera in 1813, by utilizing the ruins and remains of the old temple (Rajapakshe et al., 2018; Wijewardana et al., 2011). New constructions such as an image house and a Vahalkada/Vahal Doratuwa (the entrance to the temple premises) were added to the temple subsequently by Buddha Rakkhitha Thera.

Folklore
Presently, a Na-tree (ironwood) located a few meters outside the temple premises, is worshipped as a sacred tree by the local people. They connect the history of this tree with Prince Sapumal (the adopted son of King Parakramabahu VI) who attacked Jaffna (Yapa Patuna) and brought it under the control of the Kotte Kingdom. According to them, Prince Sapumal had made a vow to this Na-tree before his departure to capture the Jaffna peninsula.

Image house
The image house which is rectangular in shape is about 40 ft. long, 30 ft. wide, and 40 ft. high (Rajapakshe et al., 2018). The open verandah facing the north provides access to the image house and its roof is supported by eight pairs of cylindrical-shaped pillars. 

The image house consists of two sections; the outer hall and the middle Mandapaya (a pavilion). The outer hall runs around the middle Mandapaya and can be accessed through two separate entrances. The middle Mandapaya also contains two compartments: the outer and inner sections. The front and sidewalls of the outer section have been adorned with Kandyan Era paintings (Southern School art style) and sculptures depicting floral decorations, divinities, and Jathaka stories such as Thelapatta, Manichora, Chulla Paduma, and Kattahari (Rajapakshe et al., 2018). The inner section which can be accessed through two entrances houses four Buddha statues; a large reclining statue, and three standing statues (Rajapakshe et al., 2018). A portrait of Queen Victoria and a crest containing the name "Jayawardana Kotte Jayawardhana Maha Vihara" in English are found drawn over the right and left entrance doors of the inner section (Rajapakshe et al., 2018).

Queen Victoria at Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya
Queen Victoria at Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya
A portrait of Queen Victoria who received the coronation as the queen of all colonial countries has been painted over the inner entrance (the right door) of the image house of Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya. A similar portrait can be seen at Dehiwala Karagampitiya Viharaya.
Reference: Chutiwongs et al., 1990. p.34.

Besides the old image house, several other constructions such as the Vahal Doratuwa, the Kataragama Devalaya, and the Bamunu Geya are considered old monuments with archaeological interests (Rajapakshe et al., 2018).

A protected site
All artefacts and the ancient Wahalkada (gateway) located in the territory of the Kotte Raja Maha Vihara in the Grama Niladari Division of Pitakotte (GND No. 522) in Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte Divisional Secretary’s Division are archaeological protected monuments, declared by a government Gazette notification published on 20 June 2014.

Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya
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See also

Travel tips
Things to do at Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya;
Buddhist temples are crowded on Poya days (full moon) and various religious ceremonies are taken place on the day. Tourists can pray, participate in religious ceremonies, offer flowers and light incense and oil lamps for Buddha, meditate, listen to Dhamma preaching and interact in discussions led by monks and make offerings to them expecting merits.

Some etiquette to be followed at Buddhist temples;
Short outfits are not considered suitable for visiting religious places. A long skirt with a cover-up for shoulders and arms, light pants or sarong and sandals are okay when visiting the temple. Do not wear garments containing religious symbols. Remove shoes and hats when entering the premises. Do not pose beside or in front of Buddha statues (with your back to it) as it is considered disrespectful. Taking photographs is not prohibited in many Buddhist temples but ask permission before photographing people.

Visit nearby attractions;
Travel places and other tourist sites/monuments to visit near Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya;

Ananda Sastralaya Ruins Pitakotte Gal Ambalama Jubilee Post
Category: Archaeological, ruins
Distance: 300 m (1 min drive).
Category: Archaeological, historical
Distance: 400 m (2 mins drive).
Category: Archaeological, colonial
Distance: 1.1 km (3 mins drive).
Kotte Archaeological Museum Beddagana Veherakanda Beddagana Wetland Park
Category: Antiques, museum, sights
Distance: 1.6 km (4 mins drive).
Category: Archaeological, ruins
Distance: 2 km (7 mins drive).
Category: Photography, sights, wild
Distance: 2 km (6 mins drive).

Attribution
1) Kotte Raja Maha Vihara 1 by L Manju is licensed under CC BY SA 4.0

References
1) Chutiwongs, N.; Prematilaka, L.; Silva, R., 1990. Sri Lanka Bithu Sithuwam: Karagampitiya (Paintings of Sri Lanka: Karagampitiya). Sri Lanka Archaeological Authority: Centenary publication. Central Cultural Fund. p.34.
2) Manathunga, S. B., 2016. Pauranika Sthana Saha Smaraka: Kolamba Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka). ISBN: 955-9159-39-9. p.85.
3) Rajapakshe, S.; Bandara, T. M. C.; Vanninayake, R. M. B. T. A. B. (Editors), 2018. Puravidya Sthana Namavaliya: Kolamba Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Vol. I. Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka). ISBN: 978-955-7457-19-2. pp.7-5.
4) Sarma, B.S., 2007. History of Munneswaram Temple. Sri Sankar Publications. p.21.
5) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1868. 20 June 2014. p.503.
6) Wijewardana, A., Thilakawardana, A. E. L., Priyangani, S., 2011. Aithihasika Kotte (In Sinhala). Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka). ISBN: 978-955-9159-69-8. pp.19-20.

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More places to visit around Kotte Raja Maha Viharaya



This page was last updated on 19 February 2023

Kothalawala Sankhapitti Viharaya (Kaduwela)

Kothalawala Sankhapitti Viharaya
Sankhapitti Purana Viharaya, also known as Kothalawala temple (Sinhala: කොතලාවල සංඛපිට්ඨි පුරාණ විහාරය), is a Buddhist temple situated in Kothalawala village in Colombo District, Sri Lanka. It is located on the wayside of Kaduwela - Battaramulla road about 650 m distance from the Kaduwela bus stand.

History
Sankhapitti Viharaya, Kothalawala
The early history of Sankhapitti Viharaya is not clear. It is believed that this temple has been established during the end of the Kotte Period or the beginning of the Kandyan Kingdom.

An old manuscript which is currently in the possession of the temple reveals that the trusteeship of this Vihara had been transferred to Batugedara Gnanalankara Thera by the then caretaker, Hakpitiye Aththadassi Thera. This letter which has been dated in 1823, is considered important as it is the only written document containing the earliest date related to the history of the temple.

A protected site
The ancient image house in the premises of the Sankhapitti Vihara in Kotalawala village in Kaduwela Divisional Secretary’s Division is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government Gazette notification published on 1 November 1996.

References
1) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, no: 948. 1 November 1996.

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This page was last updated on 27 August 2022

Sunday, 6 October 2019

Panasawanarama Purana Viharaya, Kospillewa

Panasawanarama Purana Viharaya
Panasawanarama Purana Viharaya (Sinhala: කොස්පිල්ලෑව පණසවනාරාම පුරාණ විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated in the village of Kospillewa in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. The temple can be reached by traveling along the Udugampola - Naiwala road about 2 km distance from the Udugampola roundabout.

A protected site
The old Dhamma Sala (the preaching hall) situated in Kospillewa Panasawanarama Purana Vihara premises in Pedipola Grama Niladhari Wasama of the Minuwangoda Divisional Secretary’s Division is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government gazette notification published on 22 November 2002.

References
1) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1264. 22 November 2002.

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This page was last updated on 27 June 2022
For a complete tourist map follow this link: Lankapradeepa Tourist Map

Walathapitiya Palaveli Archaeological Site

Walathapitiya Palaveli archaeological site
A site with archaeological ruins has been discovered in Palaveli village in Walathapitiya (Walathapitty in Tamil language) in Ampara District, Sri Lanka. Situated near to the Walathapitiya Wewa, this site can be reached by traveling along the Ampara - Sammanture highway about 5.7 km distance from the Ampara town.

Ruins
Two sites located adjacent to each other have been declared as archaeological sites by two Gazette notifications published on 10 October 2014 (No. 1884) and 26 December 2014 (No. 1895). The monuments those have been identified in the Gazette notification No. 1884, include the ruins of a Bodhighara (the shrine of Bo tree) and a Chaitya (Stupa), both are considered as common elements usually found in Buddhist temples.

However, presently, this site has been given a Hindu appearance by local people by constructing a new Kovil (a Hindu shrine) there.

A protected site
The Gazette notification : 10 October 2014. 
The Palaweli archaeological site with other archaeological evidences including the ruins of a Bodhighara, an ancient Chaitya, building sites, inscriptions, flight of steps belonging to Palaweli village situated in the Grama Niladhari Division No. 89B, Walathapitiya 01 in the Divisional Secretary’s Division Sammanture in Ampara District in Eastern Province. (latitude 07º 18' 34.3'' N and longitude 081º 43' 09.1'' E).

The Gazette notification : 26 December 2014.
The rock plane with other archeological evidences including ancient letters and signs in front of the premises of Shivan Kovil belonging to Palaweli Village situated in the Grama Niladhari Division 89B, Walathapitiya 01 in the Divisional Secretary’s Division, Samanturei in Ampara District in Eastern Province. (Latitude 07º 18' 27.6'' N and longitude 81º 43' 05.1'' E).

Walathapitiya Palaweli Archaeological Site Walathapitiya Palaweli Archaeological Site
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Rerefences
1) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, no: 1884. 10 October 2014. p. 922.
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, no: 1895. 26 December 2014. p. 1149.

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This page was last updated on 5 March 2022
For a complete tourist map follow this link: Lankapradeepa Tourist Map

Saturday, 5 October 2019

Rambadagalla Vidyasagara Piriven Viharaya

Rambadagalla Buddha
Rambadagalla Viharaya (also known as Vidyasagara Piriven Viharaya, Monaragala) is a Buddhist temple located in the village of Rambadagalla in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. Presently, the temple has become an attractive place among the visitors due to the recently constructed gigantic rock-hewn Buddha statue known as Rambadagalla Buddha. This statue is believed to be one of the largest rock-cut sitting Buddha statues in the world (Weerasingha, 2015).

The rock-cut Buddha Statue
An idea to construct a large Buddha statue in Rambadagalla Viharaya is said to have been come as a result of the destruction of Buddhas of Bamyan in Afganistan (Two gigantic Buddha statues known as Bamyan Buddhas, were destroyed in March 2001 by the Taliban, an Islamic military organization). Ven Egodamulle Amaramoli Thera who is the chief incumbent of Rambadagalla temple pioneered the construction of the statue (Weerasingha, 2015). The project was helped by a large number of donors including Deivanayagam Pillai Eassuwaren (a Hindu businessman), Mahinda Rajapaksa (then Sri Lanka president), and Nirupama Rao (then Indian High Commissioner in Colombo).

Rambadagalla
Commenced in 2002, the construction work of the statue was carried out under the supervision of M. Muthiah Sthapathi, a renowned sculptor from South India who had been awarded the "Padma Sri" honor by the Indian Government (Weerasingha, 2015). The statue which is 67.5 ft high (the total height of the statue is said to be 75 ft with its pedestal) was completed after more than one decade and officially unveiled to the public on 30 April 2015 by the then Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena (Weerasingha, 2015).

The Compassionate Buddha of the Rock
In 2018, a book under the title "The Compassionate Buddha of the Rock" which deals with the historical significance of the Samadhi Buddha statue in the Rambadagalla temple was released coincide of the first year remembrance of its late author, Deivanayagam Pillai Eassuwaren. 

Attribution
1) Beautiful Buddha Statue by VINUK86 is licensed under CC BY SA 4.0

References
1) Weerasingha, I., 2015. Religious perception with colossal masterpieces: a case study of the world’s largest Samadhi Buddha Statue at Rambodagalla temple, Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. Sixth International Conference of the South and Southeast Asian Association for the Study of Culture and Religion (SSEASR), Center for Asian Studies of the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. (Abstract) p.39.

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This page was last updated on 4 September 2020
For a complete tourist map follow this link: Lankapradeepa Tourist Map

Lankatilaka Pilimage (Polonnaruwa)

Lankathilaka Image House, Polonnaruwa
The Lankatilaka Pilimage/ Pilima Geya or Lankatilaka image house (Sinhala: ලංකාතිලක පිළිම ගෙය) is a Gedige (vaulted) type image house located in the Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. It is considered the largest image house constructed in ancient Sri Lanka.

History
Constructed by King Parakramabahu I (1153-1186 A.D.), the Lankatilaka image house belonged to the Alahana Pirivena monastery (Wikramagamage, 2004). Epigraphical evidence is there to prove that this image house had been renovated during the reign of King Vijayabahu IV (1270-1272 A.D.) of the Dambadeniya Period (Ranawella, 2014; Wickremasinghe, 1933).

Image House
Lankatilaka Pilimage
The image house which is said to consist of five stories has been completely built out of bricks including the roof and therefore, known as a Gedige-type image house. There are three examples of this type of vaulted-roof shrine at Polonnaruwa; viz: Thuparama Pilimage, Lankathilaka Pilimage, and Thivanka Pilimage.

The ground plan of Lankathilake image house mainly consists of three parts, viz: the sanctum, the vestibule, and the entrance porch. The entrance porch faces the east. A flight of steps associated with two Korawak Gal (wingstones) and two Muragal (guard stones) can be seen at the beginning of the entrance. The balustrades and guard stones have been decorated with ornate carvings and some believe that the low-relief figure carved in the guard stones represents Dratarastra Maharaja, the lord of the east (Wikramagamage, 2004). Also, the woman figure presenting on the inner side of the balustrade (see the photograph under the "Inscription" section), according to some, is the wife of Dratarastra (Wikramagamage, 2004). This woman figure who is in a trice-bent pose carries a pot in her left hand while holding a bunch of flowers in her right hand (Wikramagamage, 2004). She is accompanied by two attendant women.

Lankathilaka Image House, Polonnaruwa
In the sanctum is a giant headless standing Buddha statue with broken hands. The Buddha statue is more than 40 feet high and has been built attached to a screen wall between which and the inner side of the rear wall of the image house is a narrow ambulatory (Ray, 1960). The edge of the robe falling down from the left hand had been supported by a lion figure (now destroyed) seated on the lotus pedestal. The giant Buddha statue and the two pylons at the entrance of the image house (which are about 55 feet high in its destroyed state) have given a majestic appearance to the image house.

Two ground levels are observed inside the sanctum. A portion with the same level of the vestibule is in front of the pedestal of the image and on either side of this portion, the ground has been elevated. These raised grounds have been planted with square-shaped stone pillars with decorated capitals. The pillars as well as the beam holes on the sidewall indicate the existence of an old upper story or gallery of wooden construction for the veneration of the image (Ray, 1960). The flight of steps attached to the side walls had led the devotees to the roof for the purpose of circumambulation. The Buddha statue originally had been sheltered with a brick-made vaulted roof but presently remains in the open environment as the vault collapsed long ago. 

Lankatilaka image house
The exterior walls of the image house have been adorned with stucco relief sculptures depicting miniature edifices (Vimana/ Pasadas) together with divinities (Ray, 1960). The remaining painting fragments on the walls indicate that the image house had been adorned with wall paintings. In front of the Lankatilaka image house is a building with carved stone pillars (a pillared Mandapa) which is believed to be a pavilion for Hevisi drummers.

Inscription
An inscription of King Vijayabahu IV (1270-1272 A.D.) is found inscribed on the inner side of Muragala (guard stone) located at the left side of the entrance porch (Ranawella, 2014; Wickremasinghe, 1933). It contains 17 lines of Pali writing shallowly engraved on the rock surface (Wickremasinghe, 1933).
 
The record is framed in two Gathas, each containing two-nineteen syllable lines (Ranawella, 2014). The first Gatha records the erection of the Lankathilaka temple by King Parakramabahu I and the second Gatha states that the temple had remained in disrepair for 100 years when King Vijayabahu IV had it completely rebuilt (Ranawella, 2014). Two conventional signs of a conch-shell mark the end of the text (Ranawella, 2014). 

Lankatilaka Guard Stone Inscription
Lankatilaka Guard Stone Inscription
Reign: Vijayabahu IV (1270-1272 A.D.)     Period: 13th century A.D.
Language: Pali                                               Script: Medieval Sinhala
Content: The inscription says that King Vijayabahu IV renovated the Lankatilaka Viharaya, hundred years after it was built by the great King Parakramabahu.
Reference: The information board at the site by the Department of Archaeology and the Ministry of National Heritage.

Stucco decorative sculptures
Stucco decorative sculptures from Lankatilaka & Tivanka image houses
Several head fragments of stucco sculptures recovered from Lankatilaka and Thivanka image houses in Polonnaruwa have been presently preserved in the National Museum of Colombo. These clay-made figures that formed decorative friezes of the plinths of the aforesaid two image houses have a humorous and dwarfish countenance. The hairstyles, broad lips, teeth, and large open eyes have also intensified the amusing appearance of these figures.

These decorative sculptures belong to the 12th century A.D. and are examples of the primitive clay figurines of the ancient folk art tradition.

Lankatilaka Pilimage Lankatilaka image house Lankathilaka Pilima Ge Lankathilaka image house Lankathilaka, Polonnaruwa
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Attribution
1) Lankatilaka temple 02 by Bgag is licensed under CC BY SA 3.0

References
1) Ranawella, S., 2014. Archaeological Survey of Ceylon: Inscriptions of Ceylon: Vol. VII. Department of Archaeology. ISBN: 978-955-9159-62-9. pp.13-15.
2) Ray, H. C. (Editor in Chief), 1960. University of Ceylon: History of Ceylon (Vol 1, part II). Ceylon University Press. pp.597-598.
3) Wikramagamage, C., 2004. Heritage of Rajarata: Major natural, cultural and historic sites. Colombo. Central Bank of Sri Lanka. p.217-218.
4) Wickremasinghe, D.M.D.Z., 1933. (Edited and translated by Wickremasinghe, D.M.D.Z.; Codrington, H.W.) Polonnaruwa: Lankatilaka guard stone inscription of Vijaya-Bahu IV. Epigraphia Zeylanica: Being lithic and other inscriptions of Ceylon: Vol. III. Printed at the Department of Government Printing, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) for the Archeological Department. pp.48-50.

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This page was last updated on 14 November 2022