A miniature Stupa made of stone can be seen on the terrace of the Ruwanweliseya Stupa in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is believed to have been done by King Nissankamalla (1187-1196 A.D.) in the 12th century A.D. (Wikramagamage, 2004). The Galpotha Slab Inscription of Nissankamalla at Polonnaruwa Ancient City reveals that he built a stone Stupa model at the premises of Ruwanweliseya Stupa after making an offering to it (Wickremasinghe, 1928; Wikramagamage, 2004).
Period: Nissankamalla (1187-1196 A.D.) Script: Medieval Sinhala Language: Medieval Sinhala
Transcript: <<...Anuradhapuraye Ruvanmali-mahase-vahanseta satis-laksayak dhana viyadam-kota puja-karava e pujavata satutu devata(van)......asirbbeda kala tena (ga)l dagabak karava e e tanhi sada-cara sila-lakha karava...>>
Translation: He spent thirty-six lakhs on making an offerings to the Ruvanmali-maha-se in Anuradhapura, and at the spot where the Devas (gods) who were delighted with this offering uttered words of benediction, he caused a stone Dagoba to be raised.
Citation: Wickremasinghe, 1928. pp.112,119.
This stone specimen is considered important to understanding the shape of a Stupa in the 12th century A.D. (Wikramagamage, 2004). The Stupa has been placed on a square-shaped terrace of which the perimeter is decorated with elephant heads (Wikramagamage, 2004).
See also
Attribution
1) Ruwanwelisaya Stupa 16, Ruwanwelisaya Stupa 17 by Cherubino are licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
References
1) Wickremasinghe, D. M. D. Z., 1928. Epigraphia Zeylanica: Being lithic and other inscriptions of Ceylon: Vol, II. Published for the government of Ceylon by Humphrey Milford. pp.112,119.
2) Wikramagamage, C., 2004. Heritage of Rajarata: Major natural, cultural, and historic sites. Colombo. Central Bank of Sri Lanka. pp.67-68.
2) Wikramagamage, C., 2004. Heritage of Rajarata: Major natural, cultural, and historic sites. Colombo. Central Bank of Sri Lanka. pp.67-68.
References
This page was last updated on 7 August 2022
