Sigiriya and Its Significance: A Mahayana-Theravada Buddhist MonasteryThe monumental complex of Sigiriya, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is located in the central province of Sri Lanka and traditionally has been deemed to be the capital and site of the palace of Kassapa I, 5th-6th century AD. Drawing on archaeological, literary, religious and cultural evidence from Sigiriya, and from Sri Lanka and India in general, Raja de Silva presents a brand new theory on the identity and function of the site. Casting doubt on earlier interpretations of the site as a palace or fortress, he suggests that Sigiriya was never the abode of a God King', but was a long-standing monastery built several centuries before the time of Kassapa. The paintings for which Sigiriya has long been famous are reinterpreted, not as ladies from Kassapa's court, but as representations of Tara, the most important goddess in Mahayana Buddhism to whom the building was dedicated. |
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Page 101
... Ghosh ( 1980 ) has drawn attention to the vitarka - mudra being a familiar gesture of Tara , and the fact that the goddess occasionally holds a flower between the thumb and forefinger . The gesture of Tara holding a water lily ( utpala ) ...
... Ghosh ( 1980 ) has drawn attention to the vitarka - mudra being a familiar gesture of Tara , and the fact that the goddess occasionally holds a flower between the thumb and forefinger . The gesture of Tara holding a water lily ( utpala ) ...
Page 110
... ( Ghosh 1967 Pl 14,15 ; Behl 1999 p . 88ff ) and of the Sigiriya paintings is done in the same manner by inserting a dot with the tip of the paintbrush in red paint ( or a dark colour resembling chocolate , occasionally at Ajanta ) 88 ...
... ( Ghosh 1967 Pl 14,15 ; Behl 1999 p . 88ff ) and of the Sigiriya paintings is done in the same manner by inserting a dot with the tip of the paintbrush in red paint ( or a dark colour resembling chocolate , occasionally at Ajanta ) 88 ...
Page 137
... Ghosh ( ed ) 1967. Ajanta murals . Delhi : Archaeological Survey of India . NOTE . The scene portrayed is depicted in Cave 2 , left - hand wall ( 9hrs ) of the chapel to the right ( 3hrs ) side of the " ante - chamber " to the main ...
... Ghosh ( ed ) 1967. Ajanta murals . Delhi : Archaeological Survey of India . NOTE . The scene portrayed is depicted in Cave 2 , left - hand wall ( 9hrs ) of the chapel to the right ( 3hrs ) side of the " ante - chamber " to the main ...
Contents
The literary record | 5 |
Archaeological evidence | 13 |
Literary light on ancient viharas | 63 |
Copyright | |
Common terms and phrases
abhaya-mudra Abhayagiri Ajanta Cave ancient Anuradhapura Approach Stairway apsaras Archaeological asana Avalokitesvara Bandaranayake Bell ASCAR Bell HCP Bhikkhu Bodhisattva brick Buddha Buddhist monasteries building built Bulathsinhala Ceylon chronicle clouds Colombo Conze Coomaraswamy Courtesy ASD Courtesy Studio dagoba dated deity dentils depicted Deraniyagala devotee Dhammaruci Dhatusena escarpment evidence excavated female figures flower fresco pockets gallery Geiger gesture Ghosh goddess Govt graffiti hand Hirakawa India inscription interpretation ISBN jataka JRAS(CB Kassapa king Ksitigarbha limestone lion lion-staircase house London lotus Mahavamsa Mahavihara Mahayana Mahayana-Theravada Mahayanist Malalasekera moats Moggallana monastic monks mudra Nagarjunakonda Northern Approach NOTE palace Pali Paranavitana Paranavitana 1956 period pleasure gardens Raja de Silva rampart record religious RH de Silva secular Sigiri Sigiriya paintings Sigiriya rock sima Sinhala sixth century AC southern Sri Lanka summit Tara terrace Thera Theravada Univ urna-loma vihara western escarpment western gardens western side Wijesekera Willson wingstone worship