Abheyagiri sights, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, Sankha, Padhma, Guardian Spirits.

'Padma Guardian Spirit''?

'Shanka guardian spirit'?

The above two statues are now installed on either side of the entrance to the Abheyagiri Dagoba.

'Sri Ram asked Agastya--'Who was Ravana -- the tormentor of deities? I am anxious to know about the origin of his whole clan."

Sage Agastya replied--Vishrava was the grandson of Lord Brahma. His father was sage Pulastya. Vishrava had two wives--Mandakini and Kaikasi. Mandakani's son was Kubera while Kaikasi was the mother of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Vibhishan. Kubera ruled over Lanka. One day, Kubera, came to see his parents boarded on his aircraft--Pushpak Viman. After he returned to Lanka, Ravana, who was very much impressed by Kubera's royal appearances asked Kaikasi--"Who was this fellow? From where did he acquire such an amazing aircraft."

Kaikasi revealed to Ravana that the guest was none other than his step-brother Kubera. She said--"Kubera is the son of your step mother--Mandakini. He has made his mother proud by his conduct but I am ashamed of you, because of your inconsequential existence. You are no better than a worm."

Ravan decided to prove his mother wrong by acquiring insurmountable power and authority. Ravana went to the forest and performed an austere penance for ten thousand years by standing on one foot. He fixed his gaze at the sun and never for a moment did he remove his gaze from it. Kumbhakarna and Vibhishan also engaged themselves in austere penance. At last, Lord Brahma became pleased and blessed Ravana with a vast kingdom. Ravan then started tormenting his step-brother Kumbhakarna. He snatched Kubera's Pushpak Viman and drove him out of Lanka. Ravan then turned his attention towards the deities and drove them out of heaven. The deities went to seek the help of Lord Brahma who in turn took them to Lord Shiva. Even Lord Shiva was clueless about the means by which the indomitable Ravana could be subdued. Ultimately all of them including Lord Shiva went to Lord Vishnu and sought his help'...

http://www.bharatadesam.com/spiritual/padma_purana.php

'In the context of Hindu mythology, Nidhi, that is, a treasure, constituted of nine treasures (nawanidhi) belonging to Kubera (also spelt as Kuvera), the god of wealth. According to the tradition, each nidhi is personified as having a guardian spirit, and some tantrikas worship them. The nature and characteristics of nidhis have remained largely unexplained and have not been fully understood. According toAmarakosha, the nine nidhis are:

- mahapadma "great lotus flower"

- padma "lotus flower"

- shankha "conch"

- makara "crocodile"

- kachchhapa "tortoise"

- mukunda "a particular precious stone"

- kunda "jasmine"

- nila "sapphire"

- kharva "dwarf"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidhi

'Magic Pinsala' - 'The magic brush', A Sinhalese Children's play.

I made this video from a performance at the Town Hall, Avissawella, Sri Lanka. The performance was by the children of Sumedha Vidyalaya, Kosgama. The title of the play was 'Magic Pinsala' -- 'The Magic Brush'.  It tells the story of a child having a magic brush which brings to life everything that she paints with it. A feudal Lord forces her to paint a mountain of gems.  The child paints an island with a mountain of gems. On request she paints a boat for the Lord to cross across the waters to reach the island of gems. While the Lord and his retinue are in the boat, the child paints a severe tempest. The cruel Lord and his accomplices drown when the boat buffeted by the storm, breaks up.  I filmed this from the front row with no floodlights. The camera was a Nikon D90 in video mode.

http://youtu.be/xi6KvUUPtT0

Abhayagiri, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

Abhayagiri Vihāra was a major monastery site of Theravada Buddhism that was situated in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. It is one of the most extensive ruins in the world and one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage cities in the nation. Historically it was a great monastic centre as well as a royal capital, with magnificentmonasteries rising to many stories, roofed with gilt bronze or tiles of burnt clay glazed in brilliant colors. To the north of the city, encircled by great walls and containing elaborate bathing ponds, carved balustrades and moonstones, stood "Abhayagiri", one of seventeen such religious units in Anuradhapura and the largest of its five major viharas. One of the focal points of the complex is an ancient stupa, the Abhayagiri Dagaba. Surrounding the humped dagaba, Abhayagiri Vihara was a seat of the Northern Monastery, or Uttara Vihara.

The term "Abhayagiri Vihara" means not only a complex of monastic buildings, but also a fraternity of Buddhist monks, or Sangha, which maintains its own historical records, traditions and way of life. Founded in the 2nd century BC, it had grown into an international institution by the 1st century AD, attracting scholars from all over the world and encompassing all shades of Buddhist philosophy. Its influence can be traced to other parts of the world, through branches established elsewhere. Thus, the Abhayagiri Vihara developed as a great institution vis‑a‑vis the Mahavihara and the Jetavana Buddhist monastic sects in the ancient Sri Lankan capital of Anuradhapura.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abhayagiri_vih%C4%81ra

Sights around Lankaramaya, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

Lankarama, Elephant bath, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

The Lankarama Chaithya.

A boundary wall of bricks.

Underground water outlet into a pool.

The Elephant Pond ('Aeth pokuna' S)

'Eth pokuna (Elephant pond) is an ancient man made pond situated close to Lankaramaya. It is 159 meters in length 52.7 meters across and 9.5 meters in depth with the holding capacity of 75,000 cubic meters of water.

The water to this pond has been supplied from the Periyamkulama Tank through a network of underground canals. These underground canals still work after so many hundreds years. This tank probably has been used by the monks in the Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery who amounted over five thousand priests'. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lankarama

'Lankaramaya', Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

'The last of the holy sites of Atamasthana (Eight Holy Places) is the little known stupa, Lankaramaya. It is believed this stupa was built by King Vattagamini Abaya (Valagamba) in the 1st century BC.
 
 
According to some sources, the ancient name of the stupa and the surrounding temple complex was 'Silasobbha Khandaka Cetiya.' The legend says King Valagamba was hiding in a place called Silasobbha Khandaka during South Indian Chola invasions. After defeating the invaders and regaining power in Anuradhapura, the King had built a stupa at the place where he was hiding and named it 'Silasobbha Khandaka Cetiya.'
 
 
However, very little is known about the original form or how it came to be known as Lankarama Stupa. According to archaeological evidence, the stupa had undergone a series of renovations and the present day stupa is quite similar in form and structure to Thuparama, the first stupa built in Sri Lanka after Buddhism was introduced here.
 
 
Lankarama too has evidence of a magnificent vatadage (house built encircling the stupa) and there are indications that there were 88 stone pillars supporting the roof of the vatadage. However, today, only a few of those pillars are remaining.
 
 
The stupa is quite small in size when compared to giants in Anuradhapura such as Jetavanaramaya, Abhayagiriya or Ruwanvelisaya, with only a diameter of 45 feet (14 metres).
 
 
The stupa is standing on a circular courtyard, raised 10 feet (3 metres) above ground, and with a diameter of 1,332 feet (406 metres).'

http://www.ceylontoday.lk/18-30084-news-detail-lankaramaya.html

Above photo from - http://www.sinhalaheritage.org/Anuradhapura/Lankarama.html

Stone artifacts, Thuparamaya, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.