Hello my fellow Architecture+Design lovers,
Greetings from Sri Lanka. What's up? I believe you are doing well. I was mentioned that second weekend of this month I visited Kataragama area in Uva province which has architectural, cultural and ancient value. Kataragama pooja town has many values and high cultural elements. Among them Ruhunu Kataragama devol, Kirivehera temple, Sella Kataragama temple can be seen. If you want to reach Sella Kataragama Sri Lakshmi devol need to pass 12 km from here. This content is intended to present information about the architectural features of Kataragama Kirivehera, which is a place of pilgrimage among Buddhists. Before reaching Kirivehera (Milk dagoba) one has to pass Ruhunu Kataragama Maha devol site. Kataragama Kirivehera is a place of historical value. It was built many years ago.
Before entering to the temple grounds, I got see the bell tower which is built to inform the very special occasions of the temple to rural citizens. It is made of three towers. It is arranged so that there are four doors on four sides. Ancient Buddhist shapes are not seen here, but it has unique appearance. And here the brass bell was located at the top of the tower.
To enter the Kirivehera temple, there is a set of stone steps on one side. The stone steps must have been built during the king period. Althought there are no special Buddhist shapes carved on the stones, it shows a strange kind of antiquity.
Entering the Kirivehera territory, offering Dagoba flowers and performing religious rituals. Then I visited the Mahasena Deva Mandir. Offerings to the deity known as Mahasena are performed here. Covered with transparent glass, the shape of the roof tiles is attractive.
A little further past the Deva Mandir, an open hall was built for the devotees to worship. It is supported by several white concrete pillars for the roof. Near it, a brass lamp is placed in a chamber covered with glass to protect the lamp flame from the wind.
Nowadays, concrete pillars are used for building supports, but in the past, stone pillars were used for it. Their strength remains intact even today. So many such stone towers could be seen in Kataragama Kiriwehera. It means that there were temples here at that time and now they are in ruins. By carefully observing these stone towers, ancient Brahmi characters and signs could be seen.
There is also a recently built chamber for worshiping the Buddha covered with glass. It is made of white stainless steel. Tiles are held on the ground, and only flowers can be offered. The Dharma Chakra in the front is made of steel and the design of coconut flowers can be seen at the top.
A little beyond it was a brass lamp in an attractively shaped and roofed cabin. This brass lamp is covered with glass to keep it burning. The coconut oil needed for the lamp should be done from the outside.
As a tradition from the past, we Buddhists wash with pure water before offering flowers. A small pondmore is created to be uplifted the ground to the ground. It has made a circular stone and installed the pill carvings above it. The stone has been excavated and filled the inside. Water is collected using a source of water from the outside. It is indeed a creative and amazing creation.
Below, Kirivehera was to be a small open chamber to prepare the flower volumes. In the middle of the towers, it was created to be created. These pillars can see the bottom broken.
In exploring the temples of the temples, you saw a ruined part. The brick is the wall and the walls have collapsed. However, the partition is said to be a historical significance. Such historic monuments should be preserved as ruins.
Maithree Buddha is a fraudulence of the Buddha, Kataragama, who believes in the future. I have never seen a proper understanding of its hand seal. Maithree Buddha statue has been built on a flower of a latter, and the cover of rain and the sun has been built above the head.
Another attractive belling pillars have been built on Buddhism decorations and designs. Two of the images of the sides of the side have been protected. Both pots, net flowers, and writy designs are seen in the pots, leaves and lotus flowers.
A building for the exhibition of Sarvajna relics can also be seen at the Kataragama Kiriwehera site. Its shape is similar to the outer shape of Talanda Palace in Kandy. Old tiles have been used for the roof. Buddhist logo and bo leaf designs have been added at the entrance. There is a balcony on the first floor, which has attractive shapes of small pillars.
A large building that was recently started and still under construction caught my attention. With many unique architectural features, it is not clear what purpose the building will be used for. But here it seems that the foundation is a bit old.
The shape of its windows is close to Dutch architecture. But these windows show mixed architectural elements. Opaque glass is installed. The walls are not plastered yet.
The shape of the roof is similar to that of typical temple buildings. The difference is that this is a slightly larger and wider building. Strong concrete pillars have been used to support the roof.
Concrete has been used for the floor, but it is still not well mixed. After all the work is completed, this will undoubtedly be a building with the greatest attraction. Four doors are to be made on the four sides for entry and exit.
I have observed that there was an alms hall to provide facilities for pilgrims. But it is clear that it's an elongated building. It can be clearly seen that it's similar in shape to the state Department in Sri Lanka. However it's good for provide an accommodation facility to who are staying here pilgrims.
In addition to the elephant in Sri Lankan Buddhism, lion sculptures are to be seen for its protection. Those beliefs from the past are still alive today. We also had the opportunity to see several lion sculptures at Kataragama Kiriwehera ground.
Greetings @madushanka. This is a fascinating temple site! 👍 Through your architecture posts, I've learned a lot about Buddhist architecture, particularly from your home country of Sri Lanka. What I've noticed is that there are plenty of important symbols used to depict certain sacred meanings. Well, I guess this also applies to other religions around the world. In fact, humans have been living with symbols since time immemorial. 😊
What would you consider the most popular symbols commonly found in Buddhist architecture and why?
Greetings @storiesoferne, Yes, as you mentioned, different religions in different countries have meaningful symbols to represent many sacred meanings. We know very little about them. We are fortunate that these symbols have been passed down from our ancestors to today.
Lotus flower symbols are common in Buddhist architecture to represent the purity of Buddhism. Pots lined with coconut flowers are meant to show prosperity. The dragon, elephant and lion symbols are convincing in protecting the Buddha's dharma.
Wonderful! As you mentioned, I'll take note of all these typical symbols for Buddhist architecture. I can see that flowers, plants, and animals truly have a huge influence on their designs. Thank you for this interesting information @madushanka. Cheers! 😊
Why are traditional houses in every country and region always different and have their own characteristics. One of them is like this. thank you for sharing, this is very valuable to me.
Of course. Every country and religions has own and different characteristics. Learning different architectural featues is valuable idea. Glad to hear my information useful to you.
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Hi @madushanka, thanks for sharing excellent pictures of this spectacular temple, it has a beautiful construction and many decorative elements, the bell towers are a great work of art especially the white one with light orange details, I thought the concrete pillars were some kind of monoliths made by the ancestral tribes, the lion sculpture gives a great look to this place.
Greetings and blessings!
It is not surprising that there are many historical art elements in Kataragama Kiriwehera Bima. Especially the ancient value of stone pillars cannot be expressed in words.
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I really like the historical story but the design of the building doesn't really support the story. I'm sorry @madushanka
Doesn't matter you can share your own ideas to here. Sometimes it can be.
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