Outrigger canoe, Kallady, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. Almost all of the photographs were taken by the owner of this blog and are his property.Click on each picture below to see an enlarged view.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Kanthaka Chaithya, Mihinthale, Sri Lanka.
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Thursday, December 19, 2013
Kanthaka Chathya, Mihinthale, Sri Lanka.
Kantaka Chethiya was renovated in 1930′s to the current status.
When this stupa was discovered, it has been a just a mound of earth covered by
various debris. This has been known as the Kiribadapavu Dagaba, Kiribat Vehera,
or Giribhanda during this time. But a stone inscription found close by has
identified the original name of this stupa as Kantaka Chethiya.
It is
unknown who built this stupa but it is said that the King Lanjatissa (119-109
BC) has built a stone mantel built for this stupa. Therefore we can assume that
the stupa was built prior to 119 BC. The present stupa is 425 feet in diameter
and is about 40 feet high. This stupa is most popular for one of the most well
preserved vahalkada which can be seen today.
Sights at Mihinthale, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.
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| A mini-stupa made of baked bricks. |
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| Stone pillars of the alms-hall. |
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| A water conduit made from stone, the equivalent of a GI or plastic pipe of today. |
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Mihinthale sights, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.
'Buddhism was
introduced to Sri Lanka at Mihintale in 247 B.C. King Devanampiyatissa of Sri
Lanka, who was on a hunting expedition, became a disciple of Buddha after the
Buddhist missionary Mahinda preached a sermon. He was followed by his queen,
his ministers, officials and the people. Mihintale thus became historically and
religiously significant, and ever since it annually attracts pilgrims during
the June full moon to commemorate the official introduction of Buddhism to Sri
Lanka. To accommodate the lay and scholarly interest in Mihintale, both the
sacred area and the town have undergone several phases of development, including
a site museum. A rock inscription records the finest description of the running
of a monastery in the 9th century A.D. It refers to the 200 or more serfs who
assisted the religious congregation of 2,000. It also records the salaries paid
to the physician, the surgeons, the teachers, potters, cooks and other workers.
The lay assistants were instructed to submit the list of expenditures once a
week, a summary of accounts at the end of each lunar month, and a balance
sheet at the end of each year.
Refectory hall
(left), stone inscriptions (above) and the relic chamber (below) at Mihintale
where Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka by Prince Mahinda, the son of Indian
Emperor Ashoka, in 247 B.C.'
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
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