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.

Read More

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.

Read More

Dhowa Rajamaha Viharaya

The Dhowa Rajamaha Viharaya

        The Dhowa Raja Maha Viharaya is one of the most famous temples in Badulu Town. The Dove Raja Maha Viharaya, located a few miles down the Badulla road, is situated in a very picturesque setting. The history of this temple dates back to the Anuradhapura period. Accordingly, its history dates back to the reign of Walagamba (103, 89 - 77 BCE). Four months after he came to power, the South Indian prince invaded the country. King Walagamba, who was at war with the enemy, retreated a little while and was looking for cover. The king lived in this area and organized his troops. According to the chronicles, the king built this temple as a fully fledged temple after destroying the Tamil power of the country for 14 years. After King Walagamba, it seems to have stopped functioning. Especially in AD. In the 16th century, the temples in Sri Lanka were destroyed and they became war camps. These wild ruins were restored in AD. Circa 1880s.

          The Vihara Mandiraya was located at the foot of a huge rock while exploring the archaeological sites of this temple. The temple has three parts. There is a beautiful Makara Pandal in front of the main temple shrine. The Bossertha relic of the temple is an excellent creation. This is the most important mural in the temple. The Buddha's character, which is found in many temples in the painting, has been adorned with Jataka tales such as Vesanthara, Thelapatha, Dharmapala and Suvissi commentary. The oldest Buddha Mandir in the second temple is located here. Two statues of Buddha are at work. The statue of the Buddha is worshiped here. Accordingly, two statues of Lord Kataragama and Vishnu were built. A 36-foot-high statue of half the rock is placed in front of the temple shrine. In the early days it was painted with mortar. The statue is a magnificent work of antiquity. In this manner, the Doha Raja Maha Vihara is a very popular place in Uva.

Read More

Sri Pada

Samanala Peak

         

         Samanala Peak is a cone shaped mountain located in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. The peak is 2215 meters high. The site of the Siripa site is about 22380 hectares. The Siripa site was declared a sanctuary on October 25, 1940. It is the third highest mountain in Sri Lanka. Located between Ratnapura and Nuwara Eliya Districts. In the eighth year of enlightenment, the Buddha came to Sri Lanka for the third time at the invitation of King Na of Kelaniya. Buddhists believe that it was at the invitation of the god Sumana Saman that the sacred footprint of Samana had been erected. Accordingly, they are worshiped.

            There are a few places that should be visited by the devotees who are going to worship Sambuddha Siripa. These include the Makara Thorana, Winter Ganga, Skyscraper, Lightning Drinks, Indicatupana, Getthampana, Dharmarajagala, Gona Plana, Ehudu Pillar, Mahagiri Dambaya, Siripa Maluwa and Siripa Padma and the Dolos Maha lamp. Devotees who go to the Siripa courtyard are eager to ring the bell according to the number of times they have gone after the worship of Sambuddha Siripa. Also, everyone is eager to watch the sun service

Read More

Lankaramaya

           

           Lankaramaya is a small stupa of the size of the Anuradhapura Kingdom. An ancient stupa, known as the Lankaramaya, is not heard. Therefore, many scholars believe that this was later applied. Just like the bhikkhuni monastery of the Thuparamaya Maha Vihara which belonged to the Mahavihara, the Lankaramaya or the Manisomaramaya was the Bhikkuni monastery of Abhayagiri. Both the Parker and the Gruger who used to pay attention to this Dagoba, using the stories of the Mahavamsa, today call the Lankaramaya as the oldest stone motif.

          The Mahavamsa mentions that King Walagamba (103 BC and 89 - 77 BC) fled the area and crossed the stone pillar and built a stupa once he became king. According to its description, the stupa was located north of the great stupa. According to legends, the unidentified stupa north of the stupa is due to the Lankaramaya. It is said that when King Somadevi and his men escaped from the vehicle due to the invasion of the Dravidian princes, a gem belonging to the Goddess Soma Devi was found in the stone stupa named Soma Devi.

          It is mentioned in the Mahavamsa that King Kanittiyatissa performed a chetiya at the Manisoma Viharaya and that it was repaired by King Gotabhaya. The plan of the Lankaramaya is largely an imitation of Thuparama. The dagaba is about 10 feet high and is not very large. There are stone pillars around the stupa. This is a classic example of the ancient stupas that had been built around them. It is smaller than Thuparamaya and currently contains 34 pillars. The courtyard surrounding the stupa is about 132 feet in diameter. There are three rows of stone pillars around the stupa. The tower heads are similar to the tower heads of Thuparama. The monumental ruins surrounding the stupa seem to have been a monastery unit when it came to focusing on the self. It is believed that the nearby Lankaramaya may have been involved with the emergence of the Abhayagiriya opposite the Maha Vihara.

Read More

Jethavanaramaya

       At 400 feet (120 m), it is the world's tallest stupa. It is also the largest brick building ever built. The largest stupa in Sri Lanka was built by King Mahayana Buddhist Mahasen (273 - 301). So this is a consumerist tradition.

        It is the 3rd largest construction in the ancient world, apart from the two Great Pyramids in Giza. Approximately 93,300,000 burned bricks were used to build it. This stupa belongs to the Sagalika sect. It is around 8 acres in size. There were more than 3,000 Buddhist monks to work with. One side of the stupa is 576 feet long. The stairway to the four sides is about 28 feet wide. The altar in the yard is 27 feet high. The base of the stupa was 6 meters deep and was built on a rock. The names of the people who contributed to the building industry are inscribed on a slab.

Read More

Ruwanwelisaya

   

                  The Ruwanwelisaya (Ruwanweli Dagaba) is a great physical chaitya located in Sri Lanka. At 300 feet (92 m) and 950 feet (292 m) in diameter, this stupa is one of the tallest monuments in the world. The Rawanveli Dagaba is also known as Ratnamali Seya and Maha Seya.

                     King Dutugemunu commenced work on the stupa on the full Vesak full moon day of May, on the full moon day of Visakha.

                      After the Sambuddha Parinibbana, Buddhist relics from eight countries were taken to each country in two sacred relics. According to the Lord Buddha's decree, the two relics containing the sacred relics in the village of Ragama were ordered to be placed in the Ruwanweli Maha Stupa. King Dutugemunu organized an official ceremony to observe the sacred relics of the Maha Stupa on the auspicious time of the full moon on Poya Day. After his command, the astrologer, Sootharata, brought with him relics Same way. King Dutugemunu then received the relics from the Sangha and placed it on his head in a golden coffin, and left the Golden Tabernacle amidst the reverence of the Brahmins and Brahmins. When the sacred relics were placed on a silver crown which had been prepared With his determination, a statue of Buddha emerged from the throne and all the relics were enshrined in the statue. After the relics were completed in the Ruwanweli Maha Stupa, the Uttara and Sumana monks closed the relics with a stone cover that was previously hidden for use as a lid.

                       "May the sacred relics not be shaken by an earthquake; let the flowers of the sacred flowers of the day not withered until the end of the Buddha Sasana; "All these wishes were fulfilled by the determination of the Arahants who came to this festival." Eliminate even see the relic-chamber "were determined. On the order of King Dutugemunu, many relics of gold and silver belonging to the Buddha's relics were placed on the relic.

Read More

Jaya Sri Maha Bodhiya

                       Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi

         The sacred Bodhi tree is considered to be a very sacred object by the Buddhists of Sri Lanka. It was during the reign of Devanampiya Tissa that the southern branch of the Bodhi Tree in Buddhagaya, India, where the Buddha attained enlightenment, was brought to Sri Lanka. BCE Between 307 and 267, the Sangamitta Arahathya and the Bodhi branch landed at Dambagola Patuna and decorated the road to the southern Wahalkada in Anuradhapura through the village of Tivakkala. The Mahavamsa mentions that the Bodhi tree was planted at the place where the Rajdhavaraya was located in the Mahamevnna Uyana mentioned by the Thera. Local rulers came from different parts of Sri Lanka to plant this sacred Bo tree. The Sri Maha Bodhi is more than 2,000 years old and is considered the oldest sacred tree in the world.

          The Mahawamsa states that when the Bodhi tree was planted, eight buds miraculously emerged from it. They were later planted in different parts of the country. It is said that there was a waterway from Tissa Wewa to a water supply for the sacred Bo-tree and a pond built near the Lomamahapaya. Various rulers have erected various buildings on this site since ancient times. The courtyard where the Bo tree was planted was square. It was surrounded by a wall and four gates.

          The first was the Sapaladawala courtyard and the second was the sand courtyard. The Mahavamsa mentions that a stone throne and four dome-shaped pillars were installed at the south gate. King Mahanama (560 - 564 AD) made a moat around the courtyard and King Sena II (866 - 901 AD) restored it and held a ceremony. The wall around the Bodhi Maluwa was built by the Athadasasi Thero who was in charge of the Bodhi Maluwa in Anuradhapura during the Kandyan period. The wall is 338 feet from the north to the south, 274 feet to the west and 5 feet thick.

          The most important architectural feature of the Bodhi tree was the Bodhgaya. The Mahavamsa mentions a Bodhi Gaya associated with the Sri Maha Bodhi. King Jetothissa (267 - 276 AD) built three pandas to the Bodhi Ghara. King Dhatusena (461 - 479 AD) rebuilt the Bodhi Tree. King Sena II (866 - 901 AD) repaired it. However, the Bodhi Tree which is attached to the Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura is not seen today. AD The Chinese traveler monk Fahien, about 412 AD, mentions the Sri Maha Bodhi. In his travelogue, it is seen that a branch which had been torn to the southeast of the Bodhi was ceremonially cut down and that the Sri Maha Bodhi was originally a shrine with a Buddha statue.

          Historical sources say that eighteen craftsmen from Sri Maha Bodhi visited Sangamitta Thera with her arrival. Since then they have been engaged in various duties related to the Sri Maha Bodhi.

          About the Bodhi Tree Bodhiwansa was written in Pali by Ven. Upatissa Thera around 10th century. But it seems to have been based on the earlier work 'Sinhala Bodhiwansa'. The Bodhiwansa had many books on it. The Bodhiwansa glossary was written in Pali, with a poem and a commentary, a version and a saman in Sinhala. "Dharma Pradeepika" is the greatest literary work on the Sri Maha Bodhi. This is a work by Guru Gomumen from Dambadeniya. Detailed information on the Sri Maha Bodhi of the Sinhala Maha Bodhiwansa written by Wilgammula Maha Thero during the Kurunegala period is contained in the book. Also in the Kandyan period, the book 'Madurartha Purashana' written by Ven.

         The Bodhi tree is more than 21 feet above the ground level and has three platform levels. The platform is 71 feet long and 57 feet wide. The necklace at the ground level is the sandbox. There are a number of sacred Bodhi trees that resemble the Buddha's great Maha Sangha. There are 41 of these. There are 3 tops and the rest are sandbags. The daily rituals and the annual rituals performed for the sacred Bo tree are two parts. The courtyard and other courtyard where the Sri Maha Bodhi is located, the purification of the flower seats and the temple, the prescribed Buddha pooja, the Buddha pooja with the sound of hevisi and the Gilanpasa poojas are performed daily. In addition, annual rituals such as New Rice Festival, Nanamura Festival, Old Year Festival and Karthika Mangalya are also held. The Bodhi Maluwa is currently in the custody of the Bhikkus who are descended from the Bhikkhu lineage.

  

Read More