Artifacts at Embekka Dewala, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

A bird motif on a woodcut.

Decorated granite doorway

Wood-work, Embekka Dewala, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Floral design

A bird

A seated female

Two females

Wood-work, Embekka Dewala, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Plaited tape design

Mythical double-headed bird

Entwined swans

Mother and child

Wood-cuts, Embekka Dewala, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

A stylized bird

? Females

Entwined birds

Floral design

The names of the persons who did these works is unknown. The self had no place in this type of art. It was something which after a long period of training came from within.

Embekka Dewala, Kandy, Sri Lanka, wood-work, 16th Century PE

A flower

Mythical ?Parrots

The 'double swan'

A female.

You can see the wealth of imagination of the craftsmen in wood in these pictures.

Wood carvings, Embekka Dewala, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

A mythical bird

A floral design

A floral design

A floral design

Four of the many stylized wood carvings found on the supporting wooden pillars, of the 15th Century Embekka Dewala.

Embekka Dewala, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

The arrangement of the wooden rafters on the roof of the hall.

Observe the geometrical precision with which these rafters were fitted more than 500 years ago.

Embekka Dewale, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

The audience hall which has lovely wood-work panels on the supporting pillars. 

The 'Wee-bissa' - a large receptacle to contain paddy harvested from the paddy fields belonging to the temple.

Note how the paddy receptacle, made of clay on a bamboo frame-work,  is elevated from the ground to allow circulation of air and to prevent the encroachment of white-ants.

Embekka Dewala, Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Embekka

The entrance to the premises

Please click on the following web-link:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embekka_Devalaya

Old household utensils, Lankathilaka, Sri Lanka.

Antique Brass household utensils for sale at the entrance to the Lankathilaka vihara. 

A charcol fired Iron used to 'iron' clothing. The smoke escaped along the vents situated at the sides of the upper end. 

 Brass was the material used in making household items before the introduction of Aluminium in the 1950s. The upper picture shows a variety of these items. The second picture shows a house-hold iron fired by charcol. This was in use before the introduction of the electric iron.
The story is told of how in the 1950s the then Princess Elizabeth was visiting Ceylon, she wanted her party dress 'ironed'. She was shown a charcol-fired iron which was in use in the Governor's House where she was staying. Being very apprehensive for the safety of her dress during the 'ironing', she had asked the 'Dhoby' doing the ironing how he would judge the temperature of the iron in use. The Dhoby had demonstrated by spitting on the iron. He had explained that by observing how long it took for the spit to dry on the surface of the hot iron, he could gauge the iron's temperature and its suitability to use on a particular dress material. The Princess decided not to iron her party dress after this demonstration.

Lankathilaka Vihara, Kandy, Sri Lanka

A resting room

Granite pillars of the room

Lankathilaka Vihare, Sri Lanka.

Paddy fields below Lankathilaka Vihara.

The rock and the Vihara-ge.

The Vihara surmounts a large rock and paddy fields are situated at its old approach road.

Lankathilaka Vihara, off Pilimathalawa, Sri Lanka.

The approach to the Vihare.

A Dewale in the premises.

Details of the Vihara on the web. Click on the web-link below:-

http://www.srilankaview.com/lankatilaka_temple.htm

Gadalaadeniya temple, Pilimathalawa, Sri Lanka.

A shelter with pillars of cut granite

Brass-ware of the present generation of artisans.

Brass-ware is made by the traditional artisans of this area and finds a ready market.

Gadalaadeniya temple, Sri Lanka.

A 'Wee Atuwa' - Paddy storage bin in the temple. Note the clearance from the ground.

An old stone stairway with a moon-stone at the beginning of the stairway.

Gadalaadeniya Temple, Pilimathalawa, Sri Lanka.

An old wooden door

Water channelled to a pond having lotus plants

Scenes from the Gadaladeniya Temple, Sri Lanka.

An enclosure for a tree

A pond with lotuses in bloom

Gadaladeniya, Pilimathalawa, Sri Lanka.

The entrance to the Gadaladeniya temple, Pilimathalawa.

Contents of the writing on a stone slab.

Gadaladeniya temple is situated on a granite rock close to Pilimathalawa, Sri Lanka.
Web-link about the temple, click on link below:-

http://www.angelfire.com/planet/kandy/gadaladeniya/gadaladeniya.htm

Aluthnuwara Dewale, Mawanella, Sri Lanka.

A memorial stone

One of the entrances

Web-link about the Dewala:-

http://www.visitsabaragamuwa.lk/doc_view.php?page=6

Aluthnuware Dewale, Mawanella, Sri Lanka.

A dagoba on a hillock seen far away from Aluthnuwara Dewale

The old entrance to the Dewale