'Kapruka Pooja', Thanthrimale, Sri Lanka.

An organization of Senior Citizens from Avissawella doing a 'Kapruka Pooja' at the historic Thantrimale site. Draping of a long cloth of flags round the base of the Chathya is the aim of this pooja.

Wall paintings, 'Raeswihara', Sri Lanka.

Old door frame and lock.

A bed crafted by a carpenter living in the era of King Rajasinghe - 17th Century AD, Sri Lanka.

The weaving of 'rattan'.

Carvings on one of the supporting legs.

Wall painting and old door panels.

An old spear is laid on the bed.

This bed made of a wooden frame and weaved rattan had been presented to the 'Raswehera'. It looked sturdy.

Inside the cave temple, Sassaeruwa, Sri Lanka.

Deities decorating the walls.

Stylized auspicious markings on the soles of the Buddha image inside the temple.

This cave temple has its origins in 104 AD, the time of King Walagamba of the Anuradhapura period in Sri Lankan history.

'Raswehera' ('Sasaeruwa'), Sri Lanka.

A story among the village folk in Sri Lanka had it that there was a twin image to the famous 'Aukana' Buddha image, close to it near Kalawewa. It was claimed in the village folk-lore that these two images were started by two sculptors who happened to be a teacher ('guru') and his earlier student ('golaya'). It was a race against time to see who would complete the statue earlier. When the news reached the 'Guru' that his 'Golaya' working the 'Aukana' statue had completed it, the 'Guru' is supposed to have committed suicide by jumping down from the top of the statue at 'Sasaeruwa'.
Like all stories this was interesting listening to but was wrong on facts.
According to the temple authorities this statue was made during the reign of 'King Paetiss the second'. This was in the Buddhist Era 237 (307 BC). The statue is 42 feet and four inches in height, being four inches higher than the 'Aukana statue'. Thus it was claimed that it was more than 400 years older and was four inches higher than the majestic 'Aukana' statue.
The statue shows signs of not having been completed.

The '
Aukana' Buddha statue.

Image – www.triplegem.iwopop.com/

The difference in opinion of the experts of the dating of Aukana Buddha statues was finally resolved following the discovery in the year 1952, of an inscription on a granite slab built onto the northern wall of the shrine. The statue was sculpted in the second half of the 8th century AD when Mahayana Buddhism threatened to take root in Sri Lanka. http://www.lanka.com/sri-lanka/aukana-buddha-statue-933.html

On the way to 'Reswehera', Sri Lanka.

JVP election organiser's office.

An old dwelling under a rock. Note the 'Kattaerama' S, 'Kattu aaram' T meaning built garland. This was chipped on the ledge of the overhanging rock - so that water would not drip under the stone where the dwelling was. This is termed a 'drip ledge' and is one of the oldest innovations by humans seeking a dwelling under rocks.

Flowers growing wild.

Yapahuwa, Sri Lanka.

The rock and the stairway.

Looking down an old well in the premises.

Monkey on an old defensive wall built of stones.

A dried up defensive moat between the stone walls.

Engravings in granite, Yapahuwa, Sri Lanka.

Top of a door-post

The Lion and the 'Gaja-singha' statues.

Engravings on the upper part of the walls.

Artifacts, Yapahuwa, Sri Lanka.

The 'Chinese Lion'.

Dancers carved in stone.

Dancers.

Musicians.

Note the idealized female figure of the 12th Century - Large breasts, narrow waists and wide hips.

Artifacts at Yapahuwa, Sri Lanka.

Base of a stone pillar

Coming down from the rock, Yapahuwa, Sri Lanka.

In sylvan surroundings while climbing down.

A series of holes has been bored into the side of a granite hillock. This could be the remnant of an old technology to break the rock. A series of holes were made into the granite. Wooden pegs were then hammered into the holes. Water was poured onto the wooden pegs. The wooden pegs would soak up the water swell up and break the rock in a cleavage plane. The work on the rock has apparently been abandoned.

Foundations of a ruined building.

Coming down from the top, Yapahuwa, Sri Lanka.

A view of the countryside.

A medicinal plant.

Stone stairway.

An old baked clay brick.