 Isurumuniya temple | |
  Shown within Sri Lanka | |
| Location | Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 8°20′05″N80°23′25″E / 8.3346°N 80.3904°E Coordinates: 8°20′05″N80°23′25″E / 8.3346°N 80.3904°E |
Isurumuniya is a Buddhist temple situated near to the Tissa Wewa (Tisa tank) in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. There are four carvings of special interest in this Vihara. They are the Isurumuniya Lovers, Elephant Pond and The Royal Family.
The ancient Meghagiri Vihara or Meygiri Vihara is presently identified as the Isurumuni Vihara. [1] It was built by King Devanampiya Tissa (307 BC to 267 BC) who ruled in the ancient Sri Lankan capital of Anuradhapura. [2] After 500 children of high-caste were ordained, Isurumuniya was built for them to reside. [2] King Kasyapa I (473-491 AD) again renovated this viharaya and named it as "Boupulvan, Kasubgiri Radmaha Vehera" giving the names of his 2 daughters and his name. [3] There is a viharaya connected to a cave and above is a cliff. A small stupa is built on it. It can be seen that the constructional work of this stupa belongs to the present period. Lower down on both sides of a cleft, in a rock that appears to rise out of a pool, have been carved the figures of elephants. On the rock is carved the figure of a horse. The carving of Isurumuniya lovers on the slab has been brought from another place and placed it there. A few yards away from this vihara is the Ranmasu Uyana.
‘Siddha mahayaha kuni – maha (la) ka Asala yaha (di) ni’ [Hail! The cell of Mahaya is given to Venerable Asalaya][ citation needed ]
The above Brahmi inscription was inscribed at the original place where the Isurumuniya Lovers were originally sculptured and placed.[ citation needed ] It is a special one as a letter in this inscription is 3 inches x 4 inches in size.[ citation needed ] After donating Vessagiriya to Maha Sangha this sculpture would have been removed and placed at its present place. The Lovers in the sculptured plaque are King Kuvera Vaisrawana and his Queen Kuni. Ramayana states that Vaisrawana who lived in Vessagiriya ruled Sri Lanka from Lankapura before Rawana. [4] [ better source needed ]
The Royal Family carving is carved on a Granite plate.There are five human figures carved on this plate. The human figure in the center is King Dutugamunu, who has a tall crown on his head and a "puna noola" around his chest. At his left are another two human figures. They are fanning him with a "Wijinipath"
There are four elephants in this carving. It shows them bathing. The elephant figures here are very similar to the elephant figures in "Mamallapuram" In India.
Dutugamunuthe Great, also known as Dutthagamani Abhaya, was a king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom who reigned from 161 BC to 137 BC. He is renowned for reuniting the whole island of Sri Lanka by defeating and overthrowing Elara, the usurping Tamil prince from the Chola Kingdom, who had invaded the Anuradhapura kingdom in 205 BC. Dutugamunu also expanded and beautified the city of Anuradhapura and projected the power of his native Rajarata region across the island of Sri Lanka.
Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a historical sacred bo tree in the Mahamewuna Garden in historical city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. This is believed to be a tree grown from a cutting of the southern branch from the historical sacred bo tree, Sri Maha Bodhi, which was destroyed during Emperor Ashoka the Great time, at Buddha Gaya in India, under which Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) attained Enlightenment. The Buddhist nun Sangamitta Maha Theri, a daughter of Indian Emperor Ashoka, in 288 BC, brought the tree cutting to Sri Lanka during the reign of Sinhalese King Devanampiya Tissa.[1] At more than 2,300 years old, it is the oldest living human-planted tree in the world with a known planting date. The Mahavamsa, or the great chronicle of the Sinhalese, provides an elaborate account of the establishment of the Jaya Siri Maha Bodhi on the Island and the subsequent development of the site as a major Buddhist pilgrimage site.
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