Sri Vijayarama Purana Viharaya

Sri Vijayarama Purana Viharaya, situated atop a hillock in Kaluwadumulla, Ambalangoda, houses the world’s largest wooden Buddha statue collection. Thanks to the indefatigable work of its prelate, Venerable Vilegoda Ariyadewa, who has been leading the pioneering work for 16 long years single-handedly, the proud legacy of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist temple tradition is being preserved in a unique manner for the benefit of future generations. Murals, portraying the various incidents related to the Buddha and his lay-self, Bodhisatva, are carved out of wood, displaying the exceptional workmanship of local craftsmen who hail from a locality renown for exquisite wood carving and aesthetic creations.

The Buddha is depicted in various mudras (hand gestures) and asanas (seating postures), in order to convey how the Enlightened One strived during His compassionate ministry spanning 45 years to give guidance to the people of all walks of life to achieve the supreme bliss by putting an end to their samsaric suffering. Every space in the image house, ranging from door frames to windows, is also adorned with traditional wooden designs, thus giving the opportunity to the wood carver to put on display his ingenuity as well as skills, which are handed down from generation to generation, while rendering a hand to fulfil a meritorious deed. 

Plans have also been made to erect the world’s largest wooden Buddha statue in a three-storeyed image house, which is still under construction. Once completed, the sprawling edifice will turn out to be a magnificent sight ornamented with multiple rows of Vimana Panjara (divine abodes) and bahirawas (dwarfs protecting the dwelling within), all carved out of fine-grained wood, which will no doubt instil awe in the beholder and inspire many to find solace in the dhamma espoused by the Buddha.

 

 

Masks of Sri Lanka

Masks are made of light timber obtained from the kaduru tree similar to balsa, whose botanical name is Strychnos nux vomica. There are three main types of masks, namely, Raksha masks, Sanni Masks and Kolam masks.

Raksha masks are twenty-four in number and they are worn at dance performances  and cultural pageants. The most common Raksha masks are the Naga Raksha (the Cobra Demon), the Gurulu Raksha (the Bird Demon), the Maru Raksha (the Demon of Death) and the Ginijala Raksha (the Fire Demon). 

Sanni masks depict eighteen demons, which are believed to cause eighteen types of diseases in humans. They are used in healing rituals performed by exorcists to drive away the eighteen Sanni demons to cure the patient, who has fallen ill due to their evil influence. Some of the Sanni masks used during the healing ritual include the Golu Sanniya which causes dumbness, the Kana Sanniya which causes blindness, the Gedi Sanniya which causes boils and the Jala Sanniya which causes shivering and chills.

Kolam masks are used in folk dances performed to satirize the follies committed by various members of the rural society. One of the most popular kolam dances is the Jasaya-Lenchina Kolama. It involves Jasaya, the village washman, Lenchina, his beautiful young wife, and Mudali, a high ranking administrative officer in the area. The folk dance shows how desperately Jasaya tries to stop the advances made by Mudali towards his beautiful wife. It carries a social message about the powerlessness of the poor against the high officials of the colonial society and generates a great deal of laughter to attract the audience during the performance.

First-hand information about the masks made in Sri Lanka can be obtained by visiting the mask museum at Ambalangoda, located 86 kilometres south of Colombo on the southern coast of Sri Lanka.

Madu Ganga (River Madu)

Madu Ganga, the third Ramsar wetland in Sri Lanka, is located 80 kilometres south of Colombo. It is 915 hectares in extent comprising 770 hectares of water and a land area of 145 hectares. The river Madu has an average depth of 2.5 metres and flows into the sea at Balapitiya. It is fed by several streams, which include Magala Ela, Lenagala Ela, Unagaswala Ela and Seenigoda Ela.

Initially home to 64 islands, today Madu Ganga has only 36 islands, which include Maduwa, Galmanduwa, Kothduwa, Dikduwa, Meemadua, Dimiduwa, Naiduwa, Muwandua, Gonaduwa, Katuduwa, Madaduwa and Sathapahaduwa. The largest island is Maduwa (aka Mahaduwa), which is 39 hectares in extent. The Sathapahaduwa is the smallest and shaped like a five-cent coin. It has a small shrine dedicated to God Kataragama, one of the four guardian deities of Sri Lanka. An ancient Buddhist temple is located on Kothduwa and it is believed that the Sacred Tooth of Buddha, which was regarded as the palladium of the Sinhalese kings, had once been kept there for safety during the Portuguese invasion of the country. The tranquil location is also claimed to have enabled the composition of many literary works including the message poem, Ofisara Sandeshaya.

Many of the islanders engage in traditional fishing using outrigger canoes and fish kraals such as mas athu, jakotu and karakgedi. Some are cinnamon feelers while others make coir ropes for a living. They are more than happy to demonstrate their trade skills and relate the stories of their laid-back life on the islands running into several generations.

The Madu Ganga is high in biodiversity with 115 species of birds and 302 plant species enhancing its beauty. Maha kadol, mal kadol and kirala, whose juicy fruit is used to prepare a nutritious beverage, gin pol belonging to the palm family and kerankoku, a fern species used to make delicious mallun, are among the 14 mangrove species considered the star attraction of the wetland. In certain places, the mangroves growing on the river embankments have formed tree canopies creating ‘tree tunnels’ for visitors to pass through. The rare mangrove species, Rathamilla, which is considered endangered and listed in the IUCN red data book, is found only on Pathamulla, another island belonging to the wetland. Katuduwa studded with thorny bushes lays claim to a centuries-old giant pus wela, a vine typically found in wet-zone rain forests.

Meetiyagoda Moonstone Mines

Moonstone, a semi-precious stone displaying the spectacular characteristic of changing its colour, is found in abundance at Meetiyagoda, which is located 10 kilometres south of Ambalangoda. Visitors can see them being mined using traditional methods and made into beautiful jewellery by master craftsmen at their workshops.

Moonstones are held in owe due to the spiritual power they wield in driving out evil spirits and wading off malefic planetary influences. They are carved en cabochon to obtain the maximum effect of their bluish sheen (adularescence) and embedded into gold and silver jewellery ranging from exquisite necklaces, glistening earrings to sparkling rings.

Top quality moonstones are found only in Domanwila, a hamlet in Meetiyagoda in Southern Sri Lanka. Pits are dug 20 – 30 metres deep in the surrounding marshy land to find the rare mineral belonging to the Feldspar family.

Peraliya Buddha Statue: The Tsunami Memorial

The 54-foot standing Buddha statue has been constructed in memory of the victims of the tsunami, which struck Sri Lanka on 26th December 2004. The construction cost of Rs. 50 million was donated by the Most Venerable Othani Chojun, the Prelate of the Hoganji Temple of Japan. It is located by the side of the A2 highway (Galle Road) at Peraliya 7 kilometres south of Ambalangoda.

The statue is a replica of the Bamiyan Buddha statue of Afghanistan whose scale model was created by the Venerable Ratnapure Nanda Thera. The names of the tsunami victims have been inscribed on its base. The statue was unveiled in 2006 marking the second anniversary of the tragedy. Almost the entire village of Peraliya (99.8%) was destroyed by the 9.1-9.3 magnitude Indonesian earthquake which triggered the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. Lives lost are estimated between 31,000 and 37,000 along with the destruction of houses numbering over 100,000.

Galagoda Sailathalaramaya

The Galagoda Sailathalaramaya, a Buddhist temple located 11 kilometres inland on Ambalangoda-Elpitiya road, houses the longest reclining Buddha statue in South Asia. The statue, depicting the parinirvana (passing away) of the Buddha, is 35 metres long and made out of cement.

Legend has it that the 800-year old statue was built by Devapathiraja, the Chief Minister of King Parakramabahu II who ruled from Dambadeniya in the 14th century AD. The image house is at the top of a hill, which can be reached by climbing 208 steps. A motor-able road has also been constructed for the convenience of those who find climbing difficult. The statue, which had been originally built on rock prior to its renovation,  is so long that there are seven doorways to enter the inner chamber. The outer chamber houses standing statues of previous Buddhas measuring ten feet each along with two warring factions at the opposing ends - one led by the Sinhalese King Dutugemunu and the other by the Tamil King Elara.