Paintings inside the 'Budumedura', Thanthrimale, Sri Lanka.

Paintings done over the last few years on the inside walls of the 'Budumedura' depicting scenes from the 'Jathaka tales'. The 'Jathaka tales' relate to the various lives of Lord Buddha before his last birth when he attained Enlightenment. 

Sights at Thanthrimale, Sri Lanka.

The 'Bo tree' and Chaithya.

A moat.

Thanthrimale goes a long way back in history, more than 2200 years. The sacred branch of the Bo Tree under which  Lord Buddha attained Enlightenment, was brought by Sanghamitta Theraniya from  India. They disembarked at Dambukola Patuna - close to present Keerimalai. The procession on its way to Anuradhapura was given a nights rest here, by a Brahmin.
One of the eight saplings of this Bo tree was planted here and is still present. This makes some claim that this Bo tree is older than the one at Anuradhapura - planted in the 2nd Century BC.
When the son of King Dutugemunu Prince Saliya married a woman of a low cast, they were banished by the father and they found refuge in Thanthrimale. 

'Katina pinkama perahera', Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

'Stilt-walker' doing a 'fire-dance' 

'Fire-dancers'

Young dancers with teacher playing the cymbals to keep the rhythm.

'Kalagedy - pot - dancers.

Click on link below to watch a video clip:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruOzA_Z6CfE&feature=share&list=UU1dqepitfAJwrQWLD-gZ3NA

'Katina Pinkama' Perahera, Avissawella, Sri Lanka.

Young boy riding a decorated bicycle.

Fire-dancers and stilt-walkers. 

Kandyan drummers.

Female dancers.

Young female dancers.

A caprisone baby elephant in the procession.

Katina' is a day in the life of a Buddhist monk at the end of the rainy season ('vas'). The Lord Buddha instructed that pieces of clothe used on corpses should be retrieved from the cemetery. These pieces were sewn together in the shape of the 'liyaddhe' of a paddy field. This material was then washed, dyed by immersing in specified boiled roots and leaves. The robe was then dried and at the end of the day was worn by the Buddhist priest. The priest then gave a sermon to the assembled helpers. In present Sri Lanka the material of the robe is bought. It is then taken in procession and handed over to the priests. This latter is called a 'Katina Perahera'.
The word 'Katina' means difficult or arduous. This is equivalent to the Tamil word 'kadhinam'.

Sights at Thanthrimale, Sri Lanka.

The water reservoir dried up.

Sights at Thanthrimale, Sri Lanka.

A mini-bridge made of a stone slab.

A cave to meditate?

'Kapruka Pooja', Thanthrimale, Sri Lanka.

Carrying the flag in procession.

Going round the Chaithya.

Getting the cloth in place.

Mission accomplished.

 A 'Kapruka pooja' was performed at the historic Thanthrimale Vihare by an organization of elders from Avissawella. The above are some pictures from the proceedings.

Environs of Saasaeruwa, Sri Lanka.

A 'Swift's' nest made of clay by the birds.

Entrance to the old cave temple.

Mother and child selling Lotus-rice harvested from the surrounding 'tanks'.

A room made out of clay walls below a rock.

Images inside the cave temple, 'Raswehera', Sri Lanka.

Inside the cave temple, Sassaeruwa, Sri Lanka.

King Valagamba in the year 104 AD is supposed to have originated these cave temples at Saaeruwa..

'Saesseruwa' ('Raswehera'), Sri Lanka

The image and the pilgrims.

Views of the image.

The nest of a 'Swift'.

A story among the village folk in Sri Lanka had it that there was a twin image to the famous 'Aukana' Buddha image, close to it near Kalawewa. It was claimed in the village folk-lore that these two images were started by two sculptors who happened to be a teacher ('guru') and his earlier student ('golaya'). It was a race against time to see who would complete the statue earlier. When the news reached the 'Guru' that his 'Golaya' working the 'Aukana' statue had completed it, the 'Guru' is supposed to have committed suicide by jumping down from the top of the statue at 'Saasaeruwa'.
Like all stories this was interesting listening to but was wrong on facts.
According to the temple authorities this statue was made during the reign of 'King Paetiss the second'. This was in the Buddhist Era 237 (307 BC). The statue is 42 feet and four inches in height, being four inches higher than the 'Aukana statue'. Thus it was claimed that it was more than 400 years older and was four inches higher than the majestic 'Aukana' statue.
The statue shows signs of not having been completed.

The '
Aukana' Buddha statue.

Image – www.triplegem.iwopop.com/

The difference in opinion of the experts of the dating of Aukana Buddha statues was finally resolved following the discovery in the year 1952, of an inscription on a granite slab built onto the northern wall of the shrine. The statue was sculpted in the second half of the 8th century AD when Mahayana Buddhism threatened to take root in Sri Lanka. http://www.lanka.com/sri-lanka/aukana-buddha-statue-933.html