Ancient art of Sri Lanka/ Embekke Devale

Embekke Devale: A wooden wonder

Treasure trove of wood carvings - the famous devale.
Embekke Devale, famed for its elaborate woodcarvings, pillars and other structures, nestle in the Udu Nuwara. It lies close to Daulagala about eight miles from Kandy.
Enticing Wood carvings - The UNESCO has identified these marvellous but elaborate carvings on wooden pillars to be the finest products of woodcarvings to be found in any part of the world.
Many are the hoary legends that tell of the origins of this splendid devale. According to archaic documents and the epic Embekke Varnanawa composed by Delgahagoda Mudiyanse, it was built during the Gampola period of King Wickrema Bahu II (1371 AD). One of his consorts named Henakanda Biso Bandara, in association with a drummer named as Rangama, as told in a miraculous dream, is supposed to have built this Devale dedicated to God Kataragama in a superb three-storeyed building which is now no more.
The devale is in two segmented buildings, the Digge (Dancing Hall) and Drummers Hall (Hewasi Mandappaya). Among them that caught my fascination are the following ones.

The wooden capital pillars have assumed varied shapes moulded skilfully into these intricate wood carvings. The bottom square is octagonal with carvings, while its top terminates in a leaf emanating from square.
Enticing woodcarvings are also carved on some beams, rafters, doorways, and doors as well. Among the best masterpieces on the capital pillars are thus: Hansa Puttuwa (entwined swans) double headed eagles, and entwined rope designs, mother breast-feeding child, soldier fighting on horseback, female dancing figures, wrestlers, women emanating from a vein, bird with human figure, combination of elephant-bull and combination of elephant-lion.

Among such wonderful carvings, what attracted me most was the elephant-bull carving and that of the elephant with its elongated trunk which is mystically manifested. When one covers with one's palm, the figure of the carving resembling part bull, the real figure of the elephant with elongated trunk is manifested, while when one does the same with that of the elephant there emerges like magic the figure of the bull!
The roof of the Embekke Devale bears some ingenuous revelations of classic carpentry masterpieces in fixing the rafters. The 'Madol Kurupuwa' is one of the finest examples of medieval carpentry excellence. It is a wooden pin (this Madol Kurupuwa) which holds together 26 rafters at the hipped end of the roof of the Digge of Embekke Devale.

The giant pin is carved with pathuruliya, patha motifs.
Among the carvings, there are 125 series of decorations, 256 liyawel, 64 lotus designs in Pekada, 30 decorative patterns on timber, roof members, making a total of 514 such exquisite carvings.

All's well with the Embekke Devale, except the fact that the parapet wall facing the road unwanted posters have been pasted which is a real eye-sore to the visiting tourists, particularly to foreigners. The caretakers should be alert to prevent such unwarranted posters being pasted on the wall, which would mar this historic site.

Ancient Architecture of Sri Lanka./ Kiri Vihare and Lankathilaka Vihare(Polanaruwa)

5. Kiri Vehere
Situated in the southern province of Sri Lanka, it is one of the main shrines. Kiri Vehera is believed to have been built during the 3rd century B.C. by King Parakramabahu the Great. It is 95 ft. in height with a circumference of 280 ft. There are 5 places of worship Kirivehera, Maha Bodhiya, Katharagama Devala, Sella Katharagama and Vedihitikanda.

6. Lankathilaka Viharaya
Built by King Parakrambahu, and later restored by Vijayabahu IV, this dramatic brick building was once five stories high and embellished with flowers, creepers, animals, birds and statues of gods. The two gigantic columns at the entrance, now broken to a highest of 58 ft., must originally have been at least double that height. The cathedral-like aisle leads to a standing Buddha statue, now headless, which was 41 ft., tall. The exterior walls are ornamented with delicate sculpture which depicts various buildings of the Polonnaruwa era. In front of the Lankathilaka is a pillared ‘mandapaya’ with 40 stone chaste-ornamented pillars.

Ancient Architecture of Sri Lanka/ Jethawanaramaya and Miriswetiya

3. Jethawanaramaya

The construction of the Jetavana Cytiya, commenced by king Mahasena was completed by his son Maghavanna. This was the largest Cytiya at Anuradhapura which, was originally 400 feet high. At present the height of the Cytiya is 231

It’s the highest dagaba in Sri Lanka and built in 3rd centaury A.D by king Mahasen (Mahasena). Originally it was about 400 feet high. It is situated in Nandana Uyana (garden). There are several opinions to the creation of the Name Jethawanaramaya and one of them is that a part of the robe wore by Lord Buddha is kept inside the dagaba as a relic. The dagaba is being reconstructed under the Cultural Triangle Project.

4. Miriswetiya

This was the first Cytiya built by king Dutugemunu who later built the famous Ruwanweliseya. According to the Mahavamsa king Gajaba (114-136) made a mantle to the Cytiya and gave land for the maintenance of the viharaya which King Voharikatissa (209-231) restored the umbrella of the Cytiya and built a wall, too.44 This Cytiya too was damaged by the Chola invaders and king Parakramabahu renovated it to a height of 120 feet 45.At the time of the present renovation the diameter of the base was 168 feet.The monastery at the beginning appears to have been affiliated to the Mahavihara and had gradually developed into a monastery of its own. But it continued as part of the Mahavihara and had gradually developed into a monastery of its own. But it continued as part of the Mahavihara fraternity. The chronicle does not give any light as to the nature of the relations that had existed between the Mahavihara and other monasteries like the Thuparama and the Mirisawetiya which belonged to the same fraternity. The Mahavamsa mentions that king Dutugamunu after building the Cytiya built an Uposatha hall and caused the Sangha to reside there 46 Another massive prasada was erected by the side of the Mirisawetiya by king Kasiyapa(650-59)and caused a "Mahathera" to live there and granted a village for the supply of necessities47 king Kasiyapa(914-23) had restored the vihara which had been destroyed with its various buildings and granted villages for the maintenance of the Bhikku residing there48 king Mahinda(956-72) had built a prasada called Chandana Prasada to house the keshadatu or hair relic49 As mentioned elsewhere this keshadatu was brought to Sri Lanka during the time of king Moggalana(495-513) and was kept in a house close to the king's place and annual festivals were conduct in honour of it after conducting the hair rely to Jetavanarama. It is clear by the time of king Mahinda that a separate mansion at the monastery of the Mirisawetiya was constructed to house mis relic. It is not yet clear as to when this relic was brought under the preview of the Mirisawetiya of the Mahavihara fraternity from the Jetavana fraternity.

Ancient Architecture of Sri lanka/ Thuparamaya and Apayakiri

Anurathapura Period's Stubas

01.Thuparamaya
Thuparamaya is the first Dagaba to be built in Anuradhapura during the reign of King Devanmpiyatissa (3rd century BC) enshrining the right collarbone of the Buddha, His alms bowl and other relics. The original Dagaba, which was much smaller in size, was renovated and rebuilt several times and the last restoration had been in 1862 in it its present form. The concentric rows of stone columns around the Dagaba had at one time held a wooden roof in position over it.
In 245 BC, the Oldest Surviving monument in South Asia, Thuparamaya Dagaba was built enshrining the Buddha's right collarbone.
The four circles of the strong pillars, that we can see today, around the Dagaba, were once holding the giant golden domed roof of the complex. It is still solid and almost perfect even after so many invasions, destructions, after 2500 years. Even today, the ruins of this complex cover over 3.5 acres, indicating how giant the original complex had been. It is regarded as the most exquisite Dagaba in Lanka. Dagaba was made of brick and earth. On the advice of the Mahinda Thero, the clay taken from the bed of the Abaya Weva, were laid and layers of bricks were laid on top of that to build this Dagaba.

On the opening day itself, 2500 youngmen became student monks in the new monastery. 956 AD - The Golden Dome and the famous Golden Doors of the Thuparamaya, are restored:
The giant Golden Dome (The Umbrella), famous Gold doors, Silver and Gold decorations (all of which were looted and destroyed by the invaders) were re-installed during the reign of Mahinda-4.
The restoration in 1862 AD changed its shape from Danyagara(Paddy-heap) to Ghantakara(Bell) shape and was much smaller than the original Dagaba.

02. Apayagiri

The Abhayagiri Dagaba is 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. Historically it was a great monastic centre as well as a royal capital, with magnificent monasteries 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. Surrounding the humped dagaba, Abhayagiri Vihara was a seat of the Northern Monastery, or Uttara Vihara.
In 86 BC, when this was built, it was the third tallest monument in the world. In 86 BC, two Dagabas in Sri Lanka, Ruvanweli Maha Seya and Abhayagiriya, were taller than the third tallest Pyramid in Egypt. Both of them were second only to the two tallest Pyramids in height. In 412 AD, Chinese Buddhist monk recorded that the Dagaba was over 400 feet in height.

In the years to come, they would still be taller than the St.Pauls Cathedral in UK, and St.Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican, the tallest in the western world.After the destruction caused by the invaders, 113 meter Abhayagiriya Dagaba has been restored to a height of only 76 meters (235 Feet) and 310 feet in diameter. Today it still nearly matches the height of the St.Peters cathedral in Vatican and taller than the St.Paul's cathedral in London. Even today it is the second largest monument in Sri Lanka.88 BC - The 3rd tallest building in the world, Abhayagiri Dagaba, was built by the Lankan King Valagambha after demolishing the building from where the unpatriotic traitor Giri, a naked ascetic, insulted him while the invaders were chasing him. King Valagambha built a huge Buddhist University complex there. This university complex was second only to the Mahaviharaya in size and had 12 faculties (Pirivenas) covering over 500 acres of land. The beautiful artistic masterpieces, carved out of sheer rock, that had survived the ravages of time and the barbarians, are a living proof of the standards of the glorious Sinhalese civilization in Sri

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