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The gateway to history-by Mahil Wijesinghe Source:Sundayobserver According to chronicles, the Bihalpola Raja Maha Vihara is believed to have been constructed during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa and later renovated by King Walagambahu (89-77 BC). Among the ruins at the site are a stone pillar inscription, several stone pillars and a stone carved flight of steps possibly belonging to the Anuradhapura period During the Kandyan period, there was a unique type of Vihara called the ‘Tampita Vihara’. Tampita Vihara is a temple on pillars. Its most prominent feature is that it is mounted on monolithic pillars or dwarfed rock pillars. This type of Vihara that stood on raised platforms of wood standing on stone pillars on huge rock boulders was constructed to prevent white ants or other vermin from entering and damaging it. ...

Mar 4, 2024 Posted by In Articles Tagged , ,
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Relics of an era- BY MAHIL WIJESINGHE The Panavitiya Ambalama on four solid rock stones planted on the ground Source:Sundayobserver ‘Ambalama’ is a Sinhala word for a wayside rest-house. I first saw one when I was trekking to Sri Pada, (Adam’s Peak) with my grandmother in the latter part of the 1970s. I saw several buildings along the trek up to the peak where weary pilgrims stop over to take a respite from their long journey. Back in those days, pilgrimages and carters’ travels lasted weeks or even months. These long journeys were often by foot or by cart. Each carried his or her provisions and stopped for rest at Ambalamas constructed and designed as architecturally simple buildings for providing shelter to weary travellers free. It was also a place where travellers can rest, eat, wash and possibly stay overnight. Ambalama is closely linked with Sri Lankan culture and embedded ...

Dec 7, 2022 Posted by In Articles Tagged , ,
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Panavitiya Ambalama – paradigm of Sri Lankan architecture By Arundathie Abeysinghe   Located in *Dambadeniya in *Kurunegala District, Panavitiya Ambalama (Ambalama meaning a rest-hall in Sinhala) is located en route to an ancient footpath from Dambadeniya to Kurunegala and Yapahuwa. Panavitiya Ambalama is a modest wooden structure erected on a flat land adjacent to a stretch of paddy fields and the carvings cover almost every available space. The elaborate carvings of wooden beams and rafters of Panavitiya Ambalama bear resemblance to those in Embekke Temple in Udunuwara in Kandy. The structure of Panavitiya Ambalama stands on a platform of 12′ 4″ and 9′ 6″ (approximately 3.6 meters and 2.7 meters) raised about a foot (approximately 0.3 meters) from the ground with rubble as its base resting on four rounded boulders. The nine inner pillars with some pillars 6 feet (approximately 1.8 meters) in height are copiously carved with mythical creatures, ...

Mar 25, 2022 Posted by In Articles, Arundathie Abeysinghe Tagged , ,
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