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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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.

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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

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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.

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