Mihintale
is only 12 kM away from the famous Anuradhapura city. The sacred forest
mountain Missaka Pabbatha where King Devanampiya Tissa met Arhat Mahinda
Thera and his companions is situated in Mihintale. Prior to that the
Lord Gautama Buddha had visited this place on his Third visit which
was called as Missaka Pabbatha then. Being one of the sixteen places
(Solosmasthana) the Lord Buddha had visited in Sri Lanka, this is
regarded as one of the most important sacred places by the Buddhists
in Sri Lanka. The
area of Mihintale surrounds with a jungle and there are rock boulders
scattered around the mountainous area. There are many caves which
were earlier used by monks for meditation in a quite surrounding away
from the main city of Anuradhapura. There
is abundance of ancient stone architecture surrounding the many Stupas,
monastic complexes and other sacred places. Asoka
, the Emperor of India who became victorious after fighting a long
war was disillusioned and sought Buddha's refuge to heal up his inner
self. Becoming an ardent Buddhist, he let his son and the daughter
be ordained as a Bhikku and a Bhikkuni (Buddhist priest and a nun
named Mahinda and Sangamitta) whom later became Arhats. Arhath Mahinda and his companions came to Sri Lanka as a delegation
sent by Arahath Moggali Putta Tissa with the patronage of Emperor
Asoka on the 236 th year of the Buddha parinirvana. The
Sinhalese architecture, paintings and sculpture were a result of the
Buddhism which nourished these throughout the centuries that followed. Mihintale
architectural feats are mainly visible in Kanthaka chetiya Vahalkada,
Alms Hall, Ancient Stairway, Kalu Diya pokuna and at ancient Hospital.
Friday, January 9, 2015
Kelaniya Temple, The Ancient Buddhist Temple nearest to Colombo City by Srilankaview.com
Being
just seven miles from Colombo, Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya is the
most sought after Temple for the Buddhists in and around Colombo.
On the Eighth year after the Enlightenment, the Lord Buddha has visited
this sacred site, which had been the Third and the last visit to Sri
Lanka by the Gauthama Buddha. Situated
on the banks of Kelani River, which is originating from Sri Pada ,
makes this Temple surroundings attractive for the devotees who come
to worship this hallowed land. The
original Temple and the Stupa or the Dageba, was built in 5th Century
BC, but none of the earlier structure survive today. Mentioned
in the Sri Lankan chronicle"Chulavansa" is that,
the Kelaniya Temple was five stories high with traditional styling
and roofing. It
also states that the temple was rebuilt by King Vijayabahu III, (1232-1236)
and King Parakrama Bahu II (1236-1270). In
1510 AD , the temple was destroyed by the Portuguese, who had then
conquered the Maritime provinces of the country.
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