Silver Temple

Historical Silver Temple of Kurunegala

            From Kurunegala town crossing the Ridigama town slightly ahead on the Keppetipola road It is a mountain that standing over the skies about 200 feet high. At the foot of the mountain are the ruins of a monastery with archaeological evidence made of ancient cauldron, caves and ponds. This is the silver shrine, which was the seat of the Arahants in the early days with a history of about two thousand years.

          Silver Temple has a long history as far back as the beginning of Lanka's history. Silver is related to the Ridigama as well as to the story of King Dutugemunu (161 - 137 BC). At this time an Arahant named Indragupta lived in this area. According to the Mahavamsa, silver was found with the help of this Arahant when he was looking for treasures to build and deposit in the Ruwanweli Stupa. A group of merchants were traveling through the area and when they were searching for the cattle, they found a Waraka tree. There were four Arahants led by Ven. Indraguptha Thero and the sales team had presented Waraka. When asked for permission to go there, the Thera had pointed out a road through the temple. On their way, they saw a silver lining and offered to their king. The ministers had then withdrawn the silver and made a temple in this place for the happiness of the silver. It was later known as 'Rajatha Lena'.

          Amandagamini Abhaya (21 - 31 AD), King Parakum (1153 - 1186 AD), Nissankamalla (1187 - 1196 AD) and Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe who came to power during the Kandyan Kingdom. (1747 - 1782 AD) has been patronized by rulers.

          The ruins of the Silver Temple are of three major parts. These are the Maha Viharaya, Uda Vihara and Waraka Viharaya. All three are caves. One of the oldest temples in the area is the Maha Viharaya. There are gateway near the entrance. The image of the idols and the images of the animals depicts the Hindu period. The Uluwassa with its ivory carvings near the entrance to the upper temple is one of the famous carvings of the silver temple. Adorned with local carvings, this is the only ivory athlet in Sri Lanka. Among the statues found in the temple are a gold plated statue, a statue of Athariyan sleeping, and a statue of Maithree Bosath. The resting statue is made of wood. Ceramic bricks, which are nowhere to be seen, were installed during the Kandyan Kingdom. They have the life story of Christ. At the foot of the statue are statues of King Dutugemunu and the statue of Maithree Bodhisattva. There are nine statues on the left side of the statue. This cave temple depicts the artistic tradition of the Kandyan period.

          The Uda Vihara is important because of its paintings. The wall is adorned with paintings of the Kandyan period. Twelve places, Suvisi vivarana, Navanari Kunjaraya, Gajasinghe, Narasinghe are some of the special paintings. Also behind the statue in the cave there are some events in the Ramayana. The paintings of this Vihara were painted by the Devaragampola thero. Adjacent to the Uda Vihara is another small cave. The head of the cave wall is decorated with beautiful paintings. On the right side of the Uda Vihara are the gods Vishnu and Kumara Bandara. It was a creation of King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe of Kandyan period. These creations may have been made due to Hindu influence. There are beautiful lame stone and sandakada pahana near the entrance to the temple.

           Another important part of this temple is the Waraka Viharaya. In the cave there is a seat with an image of Buddha and an outer stone pavilion. The Samadhi statue and the Makara Thorana are placed behind it. It is considered the place where Arahants eat Waraka. It is full of sculptures and carvings. Hindu influence is also prominent in these designs.
                The other temple component of the temple is the place where the Chaitya is situated. During the time of the ancient monastery, the Arahants and the Yogavachara monks in the area used to be meditators and for other purposes. During the Kandyan period many temples and temples were renovated. Although the stupa was built by King Dutugemunu, it is not seen today. Apart from this there are temples built in Kandy period. Kumara Bandara Devalaya and Pattin Devalaya are prominent among them. An annual procession is also held. Silver Temple is one of the ancient Buddhist centers of Mahavihara in Sri Lanka.

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Sri Dalada Maligawa

Sri Dalada Maligawa Complex

            The Dalada Maligawa is one of the most revered places of the Buddhist community in the world, which displays the glory of the Kandyan Kingdom. Though popularly known as Senkadagala in its early years, Sri Vardhanapuraya was used in ancient times because of its beauty and prosperity. It was also known as Kandy, as it was home to the ruler. After the founding of the town by King Wickremabahu III of Gampola, it was Senasmatta Wickramabahu who ruled around 1469 AD. Buddhism flourished with the death of Konapu Bandara alias Wimaladharmasuriya I (1592 - 1604 AD). He continued to dominate the hill country until he was overthrown by the English in 1815.

         The Dalada Maligawa is a unique creation of the Kandyan Kingdom. The Dalada Maligawa was first known by the name Dalada. This palace was first built by King Wimaladharmasooriya I. The turmoil in the Kotte kingdom at that time had a detrimental effect on the Buddha Sasana and the Tooth Relic. As a result, the sacred Tooth Relic was placed in the newly built palace of King Dalangamu of the Sabaragamuwa Province. But the palace is no longer visible. King Senarath, who came to power in 1604, took him to central Kandy to protect the Tooth Relic from Portuguese invasion. King Rajasinghe II (1635 - 1687 AD) who built a new two storied shrine, brought the relics to Kandy and deposited it there. King Wimaladharmasooriya II (1687-707 AD) built it as a three storied palace. He was succeeded by his successor, King Veera Parakrama Narendrasinghe (1707 - 1739 AD). There are thirty-three Jataka Stories painted on the walls, but they are not seen today.

          The king erected a granary at Galmaduwa in order to deposit the Tooth Relic and offered it to the Dalada Maligawa. King Wijayarajasinghe (1739 - 1747 AD) succeeded to the throne and performed the Dalada Pooja. Other rulers have made similar sacrifices. The palace was built by King Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe, the last king of Sri Lanka's kings. It is called Paththirippuwa. This is a classic of the Kandyan period. The present Temple of the Tooth Relic is considered to have been built by King Sri Veera Parakrama Narendrasinghe. There are two rooms on the ground floor. The first is called Digge and the second is the General Fund. Upstairs are three rooms. The first and second rooms are called Hadukudama and the inner chamber where the sacred relics are placed is called the inner palace or the palace where the work is being built. To the south of the embankment was a poetic shed.

          The Hewisi Pavilion at Pallemala and to the right of it is the Vihara Mandiraya with Buddha statues known as Pallemalai. It houses a large gold-plated Buddha statue, a small shrine Buddha statue, and other sacred objects. This statue is considered to be a creation of King Rajadhirajasinghe. The shrine statue has been placed in a decorated monument with ivory and gold ornaments decorated by King Wimaladharmasuriya I of Delgamuva. It is believed that this temple was built by King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe. The small stupa on the other side of the Hewisi Pavilion was built in the late 19th century. Some believe that the sacred relics have been buried here.

          The exterior of the palace has been protected by trenches. The Boundary Wall is called the Diyareli Wall. The hole in the line used to insert into the wall was used to light the oil lamps. Behind it was the cloud wall and the moat was in between these two walls. A bridge and a gateway to the structure. To access it, a triangular moonstone and ivory carving of the Kandyan period were carved.

          The ancient palace was located adjacent to the Dalada Maligawa. This is where the last king of Ceylon lived. Nuwara Wewa is one of the many features built by King Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe. This is AD. It is believed to have been built around 1812. The lake is also called "Kirisaurea". The Magul Maduwa designed by Devendra Mulachari is a monument to the carvings of Kandy. It was built by King Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe. This is similar to the temple of Ambakke. The beautiful tabernacle erected by this king in 1806 was the Uppal Gane. This building with a pond is a two storeyed building. Three sides of the building are submerged. The pool is filled with water for swimming, swimming pool and swimming pools. The palace in the center of the town is the underwater pavilion.

          The Theva of the Dalada Maligawa is performed by the Asgiri and Malwathu Ubha Viharaya Bhikkus. In addition to the daily rituals, there are four festivals called Aluth Sahal Mangalya, Sinhala New Year Festival, Perahera Festival and Karthika Mangalya. The Dalada Maligawa is a mirror depicting the customs and traditions of the Kingdom The discrimination can.

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Dambulla Cave Temple

The Rangiri Dambulu Rajamaha Viharaya

        

    Dambulla has a unique place among the main Buddhist caves in Sri Lanka. The history of this Viharaya is very important as it was built over a large period. Dambulla is located in the center of the triangle that connects Sri Lanka's three ancient capitals of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kandy. Dambulu Rock is 1118 feet above sea level. The Dambulu Rock stretches up to 600 feet above the surrounding plain. This beautiful cave monastery gives us insight into a long and complex history.

          From the Anuradhapura period to the Kandyan period, the Viharaya received the attention of the rulers. There are many differences of opinion among historians as to when Dambulla came to be used. Prof. Senarath Paranavithana points out that "Vishwagira", Yawakola and later it was Dambulla as Jabakola, Jabola and Dambulla. However, Ven. Wimalakitta Thero says that the name Dambulla was derived from the abundance of dambagas. Dambulu Viharaya “Jambu Kola Lena” was first mentioned in historical sources during the reign of King Vijayabahu I of the Polonnaruwa era. King Nissankamalla also used this name in his inscriptions.

          Before the construction of a temple there is a clear fact about the caves. Thirty-four Brahmi inscriptions have been found throughout the temple premises. This means that the Buddhist monks have been living here since the introduction of Buddhism. During the time of the Aryan settlement, this area was inhabited. Similar articles have been found from Embulbee, Kandalama and Pidurangala around Dambulla. Although the earliest historical records of this cave temple are not mentioned, inscriptions and oral traditions suggest that it was built by King Walagamba (103 & 89 - 77 BC). According to the ritual, King Walagamba had carved out caves in this cave that gave him shelter and protection during the 12 years of the Tamil invasions. It is this king who has built three shrines known as Pasthima Vihara, Maharaja Vihara and Deviraja Vihara. It is believed that King Walagamba had a stupa which had been carved to the left of the north entrance of the largest cave temple called the Maharaja Vihara. It is believed that King Valagamba had built the stupas of Nissankamalla and Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe at the southern end of the temple.

        The temple was built in the BCE first century and during the Polonnaruwa period it was re-awakened. After the fall of the kingdom of Anuradhapura in 1017 AD, the Tamils ​​turned their attention to Pollonnaruwa. At that time Prince Keerthi founded Vijayabahu I under various constraints after a period of three years in Anuradhapura between 1055 and 1110 AD. Since then, the Buddha Sasana that was destroyed in the country has been rebuilt and the temples built in the area have been renovated. Accordingly, the Jambukola Lena or Dambulu Viharaya was renovated at that time. The nature of the restoration work done by King Vijayabahu in the Dambulla Temple is not clear. However, it is believed that it was a monastery where the monks resided.

          The golden era of the Dambulla Viharaya was established during the reign of King Keerthi Sri Nissankamalla. The inscription of this king carved from below the cave to the right of the Wahalkada of this Vihara is the longest inscription in this temple area. The last few lines refer to the sasanic service which the king had done after the reconciliation of the three sect. The king had renovated the temples in Anuradhapura, Devinuwara, Kelaniya and Mahiyanganaya. The temple had suffered a setback due to Nissankamalla's reign and was not noticed by the kings.

          Thereafter, the temple was revived during the Gampola and Kandy periods. Buwanekabahu V (1372 - 1408 AD), Wickramabahu III (1360 - 1374 AD), King Wimaladharmasooriya I (1592 - 1604 AD) and King Senarath (1604 - 1635 AD) They have contributed to the development. King Senarath has assigned the restoration work of the Dambulla Vihara to Abeysinghe Mudiyanse of Welpitiye who ruled the Kandy Zone. It is during this period that King Nissankamalla is revived. Sixty-three Buddha statues have been restored.

          The Dambulla Vihara was revived during the era of Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe of the Nayakkara clan. All the temples of the Vihara were renovated and painted and restored. It is mentioned in the documents that he made the king's footprint in the new temple called the Fourth Temple. Sri Wickramarajasinghe, the last king of the Kandyan period, went to this temple in a procession and went about the duties of the temple.

          We should investigate the historical monuments found in this temple. The first cave is known as the Devaraja Viharaya. There is a huge statue of Lord Buddha in the statue of Lord Buddha. Next to it is the statue of Ananda. The statue of Lord Vishnu and several statues stand close to the statue. These seven statues are believed to have been built during the reign of Walagamba.

          The second cave is called Maharaja's cave because of the statues of King Walagamba and Nissankamalla. This is the most beautiful temple in the Dambulla Temple. The walls are decorated with beautiful frescoes. There are about 60 statues in the cave and in addition to the Buddha statues there are statues like Natha, Maithri, Upulwan, Saman Deva and many Buddha statues made of Samadhi, Vitarka, Dharma and Abhaya. Maitreya and Natha Mahayana Bodhisattva statues are placed on either side of the statue. Behind these statues are two large deities traditionally recognized as Saman and Upulwan. They are worshiped gods among the Buddhists. In addition to the statues, all the statues are Buddha statues of various sizes and gestures. In the cave there is a painted stupa surrounded by eleven statues. The walls and canopy of the temple have numerous frescoes. Buddhist Jataka Stories and various art forms are depicted.

          The other cave temple is the Great Aluth Viharaya. This cave has been named as 'Maha Aluth Viharaya' due to the recent construction of King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe during the Kandyan Kingdom. It is 90 feet long and 81 feet wide. The Makara Thorana is a special creation. There are 57 statues of Buddha in various postures. The statue of King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe is also in the royal attire. It is known as the Lena Pastima Vihara where the jewelery of King Walagamba's wife was placed. The second new Viharaya is known as the Viharaya. There are 11 statues.

          There are religious and secular sculptures in the observation of the statues in the temple. There are also frescoes related to the Anuradhapura and Kandy periods. Neelagama Sithara Generation has contributed to the art and sculpture of the temple. During this period, the Dambulla Viharaya was conferred by the kings, local rulers, chiefs and others on the subject of the Fourth Sangha. Sannas and Thuda also testify that a large number of villages were offered at the same time. The temple also hosts a number of annual festivals. They are the New Rice Festival, New Year's Eve, Nanamura Festival and Karthika Mangalya. In this sense, the Rangiri Dambulu Vihara is one of the oldest and most revered living monuments among the thousands of Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka.

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The King Statue of Polonnaruwa

The King Statue of Polonnaruwa

            The statue, located to the north of the Pothgul Vihara on the banks of the Toppa Tank, is a great work of the ancient Sinhalese. It is 11 feet high and 6 inches high. There are many opinions among historians about this statue. Some say that it is a statue of King Parakramabahu I (1153 - 1186 AD) or another king who ruled over the Polonnaruwa kingdom. Another view is that Siri Gunasinghe is a statue of a Brahmin or a Sasiwa.

          Prof. Senarath Paranavitana is of the opinion that there is a yoke in his hand. According to the accepted Bharatan concept in Sri Lanka, the yoke is a symbol of the king's responsibility to maintain justice and peace. Although a number of theories have been made, it is not yet known who the statue is. Inspired by this image of inspiration and vigor, whoever it is, is a masterpiece of a great sculptor. The stone on which the sculpture was carved is found on a stone inscription, but it could not be read.

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Weheragala Rajamaha Viharaya

Weheragala Rajamaha Viharaya

          Located on the boundary of the Thamankaduwa and Ampara Districts in the Polonnaruwa District, this is a beautiful temple. It is believed to have been built during the Anuradhapura period. The three stone inscriptions adjoining the forty-foot high rock provide some indication in the history of the temple. But the inscriptions are so bad that they are unreadable. In these articles the reigns of two kings are given. The first article is about King Buddhadasa. This king was crowned The state viz., 340-368. He was a talented doctor in the history of Ceylon. The second and third article deals with the reign of Mahanama (410 - 432 AD). Buddhaghosa Thera, a renowned monk, came to Sri Lanka during this period. A letter from King Nissankamalla (1187 - 1196 AD), who came to power in the vicinity of the Viharaya, was found. This means that these areas were inhabited when the kingdoms of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa were present. This temple has been further enhanced.

          The remains of this temple are scattered throughout the historical ruins. The main reason is the stupa. This is two hundred feet round and ten feet high. It appears that the stupa had been fitted with Alva footrests.

         Bodhi below the stupa. There is a flight of stairs to go to. There is also an ancient Buddha statue of that era in the temple premises. The staircase, set at that time to climb to the top of the rock, is more beautiful. There were two beautiful ponds on the top of the rock. Rajarata Civilization After the fall of 1215, the population of these areas became unpopular with the migration of the southwest.

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