Tuesday, March 5, 2019

'Nillakkagama" Bodhigara inscription, 9th to 10th Century AD, Sri Lanka.


The 'wewa' by the side of the 'Bodhigara'

The environs of the 'Bodhigara'

The 'care-taker'
Panel put up by the Archeological Department
Story related by the care-taker
During the time of the 'Chola invasion' in the 9th  Century  AD, the venerated Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha, was smuggled out from its repository in Anuradhapura, by a Buddhist monk who disguised himself as a 'Chetty'. He hid the Relic in his garments and was traveling towards the East, to find a safe hiding place for the relic.
He spent the night at this spot and wended his way, the next morning.
When the Cholians were thrown out, King Aggabodhi the Fourth, came to know of this incident. He  ordered one of his ministers to build a stone memorial at this site. A branch of the Sacred Bo Tree at Anuradhapura was planted here.
The pictures show its present status
The site is approachable from the Ambanpola road from the highway from Padeniya to Anuradhapura. A few Kms after passing Ehatuwewa, you have to turn to the left opposite large Muslim palliya. A few kilometers further a cart road on the left leads to the site.
 
The 'Bodhigara'


A 'mal aasana' - Stone platform to place the offering of flowers.

Rampant lions on a lotus motif




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Sunday, March 3, 2019

At an Aranya at Ehatuwewa in the Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka.

The young Bo Sapling

The surrounding hills


The residence - 'Aawasa' built for the Rev, Nawale Dhammananda





Rev Nawale Dhammananda





The approach road to the Kutys


The approach to the 'Kuty' - cave dwellings






The cave dwellings


Centuries old broken pottery

Brahmi cave writings








Thursday, January 3, 2019

Tale of a premonition

It was the time of intrigue in the last days of the Kandyan Kingdom. King Sri Wickremasinghe Rajasinghe was on the throne. The British were in control of most parts of the Island and were planning an assault on Kandy. A childhood friend of the King was aged and was dying. He had a premonition of things to come and sent a message to King Rajasinghe through an intermediary. The message was very poetic in its composition and it went as follows in a translation into English -
'Far away I see a hornets nest gather. It is a 'Yak debara' ( a vicious breed of hornets). Tell the King not to throw stones at it'.

What happened subsequently is history.
History has a habit of repeating itself many times.
(Story from the book ' In the days of King Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe by Dolopihillle)