Sights at Abheyagiri Dagoba, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

'Yudaganaawa' , Butthala, Sri Lanka.

The unfinished Dagoba and the statue of Lord Buddha showing a 'frowning face'.

This Dagoba at Yudaganawa started in the 2nd Century BC would have been larger than the 'Ruwanvelisaaya' of Anuradhapura. It was never completed. The building in front of the Dagoba houses a statue of Lord Buddha showing 'a frowning face', according to a Buddhist monk I met at the site. This place was the site of a famous battle field mentioned in the 'Rajavaliya'.

‘Being angry at these words spoken by his royal father, the Prince(Gamini) fled to Gilimale, and having hid himself there for several days went to Kotmale’.

          ‘Kavantissa reigned 60 years from his coronation and passed {at death} to Tusitapura. On the demise of the King, Prince Tissa came, put his royal father in his coffin and repaired to Digamadulla, taking with him the Kadol elephant and his mother Vihara Mahadevi. Prince Gemunu having heard of his father’s death, left  Kotmale and returned to the city of Magama. Whilst there, he wrote to Prince Tissa asking him to send their mother and the Kadol elephant which was born on the same day as himself; but Tissa sent them not. The request was repeated three times; but still he did not send them. Prince Gemunu then set out to fight, taking his forces, and the two brothers joined battle in Yudaganapitiya. Of his army 30,000 men having fallen, Dutugemunu was defeated in the battle and fled, and Tissa persued after him; but when he saw that the great community of monks had come and barred his way, he returned to Digamadulla.’ A translation from the Sri Lankan Chronicle ‘RAJAVALIYA’ – (The line of Kings).

On a second single man combat Tissue was defeated and was pursued by Gamini. Tissue sought refuge at a Vihare – identified as ‘Demetamal Vihara’ close to Butthala.


Video:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WJl3Sq_aew

Dagoba at Tissamaharama, Sri Lanka.

A view of a side of the historic Dagoba and discarded flower offerings awaiting disposal.

Dagoba at Tissamaharama lit up for Poson Day 2010.

I took this timed exposure with camera on tripod, from the bund of the Tiia wewa tank on Poson day 2010.

Dagoba, Tissa, Sri Lanka.

Dagoba, paddy field and watchman's hut, Tissa, Sri Lanka. Photo taken by Queenie on a Samsung 12 Megapixel camera.

Abheyagiri Dagoba, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

King Vattagamini Abheya 89-87 BC, constructed this Dagoba, 350 feet high, at Anuradhapura the then capital of Sri Lanka. It reportedly contains some of the relics of Lord Buddha, in a chamber decorated with gems. The relics were enshrined inside a golden vessel shaped like a bull. The Abheyagiri was vandalised for being part of a heretic 'vaithulyavada' sect it is said on instigation by members of the Maha Vihara. Abheyagiri Dagoba is being restored now. Fa Hsien, the Chinese traveller of the 5th century AD refers to this place. Abheyagiri had a good library and Fa Hsien took copies of valuable documents from here to China for translation. They may still be available in Buddhist monasteries in China, and could be valuable material for research. Photo by Charaka Wickremasinghe.