Lankarama

Last updated
The Lankarama dagoba. SL Anuradhapura asv2020-01 img33 Lankarama Stupa.jpg
The Lankarama dagoba.
Eth Pokuna (Elephant pond). Eth Pokuna in Anuradhapuraya.JPG
Eth Pokuna (Elephant pond).
Lankarama in a dilapidated state 1927. Anuradhapura Lankarama 1927.jpg
Lankarama in a dilapidated state 1927.

Lankarama is a stupa built by King Valagamba, in an ancient place at Galhebakada in the ancient kingdom of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Nothing is known about the ancient form of the stupa, and later this was renovated. The ruins show that there are rows of stone pillars and it is no doubt that there has been a house built encircling the stupa (vatadage) to cover it. The round courtyard of the stupa seems to be 3.0 metres (10 ft) above the ground. The diameter of the stupa is 14 metres (45 ft). The courtyard is circular in shape and the diameter is 406 metres (1,332 ft).

Contents

Eth pokuna

The eth pokuna (elephant pond) is an ancient man-made pond situated close to Lankaramaya. It is 159 metres (522 ft) in length, 52.7 metres (173 ft) in width and 9.5 metres (31 ft) deep, with a holding capacity of 75,000 m3 (2,600,000 cu ft) of water.

The water to this pond is supplied from the Periyamkulama Tank through a network of underground canals. These underground canals still work after several hundreds years. This tank was probably used by the monks in the Abhayagiri vihāra (Buddhist monastery), which at one time had over five thousand priests.

See also

Coordinates: 8°22′N80°23′E / 8.367°N 80.383°E / 8.367; 80.383


Related Research Articles

Tunnel Underground passage made for traffic

A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through the surrounding soil/earth/rock and enclosed except for entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube construction techniques rather than traditional tunnel boring methods.

National Water Carrier of Israel

The National Water Carrier of Israel is the largest water project in Israel, completed in 1964. Its main purpose is to transfer water from the Sea of Galilee in the north of the country to the highly populated center and arid south and to enable efficient use of water and regulation of the water supply in the country. Up to 72,000 cubic meters of water can flow through the carrier each hour, totalling 1.7 million cubic meters in a day.

Shapur Khast Castle in Khorramabad, Iran

Shapur Khast or Falak-ol-Aflak is a castle situated on the top of a large hill with the same name within the city of Khorramabad, the regional capital of Lorestan province, Iran. This gigantic structure was built during the Sassanid era (224–651).

Xitang Town in Zhejiang, Peoples Republic of China

Xitang, formerly known as Xietang, Pingtang and Xutang, is a historic town in Jiashan County, Zhejiang, China. It borders Luxu Town in the north, Yaozhuang Town in the east, Ganyao Town in the southeast, and Tianning Town and Town in the west. As of the 2016 census it had a population of 57,400 and an area of 83.61-square-kilometre (32.28 sq mi). Xitang is a water town crisscrossed by nine rivers. The town stretches across eight sections, linked by old-fashioned stone bridges. In the older parts of town, the buildings are set along the banks of the canals, which serve as the main transportation thoroughfares in the area.

Cooum River River in Tamil Nadu, India

The Cooum river is one of the shortest classified rivers draining into the Bay of Bengal. This river is about 72 km in length, flowing 32 km in the city of Chennai and the rest in rural part. The river is highly polluted in the urban area (Chennai). Along with the Adyar River running parallel to the south and the Kosasthalaiyar River, the river trifurcates the city of Chennai and separates Northern Chennai from Central Chennai.

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam Dam in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh and Nalgonda district, Telangana

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is a masonry dam across the Krishna River at Nagarjuna Sagar which straddles the border between Nalgonda district in Telangana and Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh. The dam provides irrigation water to the Nalgonda, Suryapet, Krishna, Khammam, West Godavari, Guntur, and Prakasam districts along with electricity generation.

Mihintale

Mihintale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. It is believed by Sri Lankans to be the site of a meeting between the Buddhist monk Mahinda and King Devanampiyatissa which inaugurated the presence of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It is now a pilgrimage site, and the site of several religious monuments and abandoned structures.

Aqua Claudia aqueduct designed to supply water to the city of Rome, built at the time of the Emperor Claudius

Aqua Claudia was an ancient Roman aqueduct that, like the Aqua Anio Novus, was begun by Emperor Caligula in 38 AD and finished by Emperor Claudius in 52 AD.

Jetavanaramaya

The Jetavanarama stupa or Jetavanaramaya is a stupa, or Buddhist reliquary monument, located in the ruins of Jetavana monastery in the UNESCO world heritage city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. At 122 metres, and was the world's tallest stupa; and the third tallest structure in the world when it was built by King Mahasena of Anuradhapura (273–301). He initiated the construction of the stupa following the destruction of the Mahaviharaya of Anuradhapura. His son Maghavanna I completed the construction of the stupa, and was renovated by Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa. A part of a sash or belt tied by the Buddha is believed to be the relic that is enshrined here.

Kuttam Pokuna

Kuttam Pokuna are well preserved old bathing tanks or ponds in Sri Lanka. This pair of ponds was built by the Sinhalese in the ancient Anuradhapura Kingdom. They form part of the Abhayagiri vihāra complex and are an example of the achievements in the field of hydrological engineering and architectural and artistic creations of the ancient Sinhalese.

The ancient Sri Lankan people, which consisted of Sinhalese and Sri Lankan Tamils excelled in the construction of tanks (Wevas) or reservoirs, dagobas, Hindu temples and palaces in Sri Lanka, as evident from the ruins which displays a rich variety of architectural forms.

Architecture of ancient Sri Lanka

The architecture of ancient Sri Lanka displays a rich diversity, varying in form and architectural style from the Anuradhapura Kingdom through the Kingdom of Kandy (1469–1815). Sinhalese architecture also displays many ancient North Indian influences. Buddhism had a significant influence on Sri Lankan architecture after it was introduced to the island in the 3rd century BC, and ancient Sri Lankan architecture was mainly religious, with more than 25 styles of Buddhist monasteries. Significant buildings include the stupas of Jetavanaramaya and Ruwanvelisaya in the Anuradhapura kingdom and further in the Polonnaruwa Kingdom. The palace of Sigiriya is considered a masterpiece of ancient architecture and ingenuity, and the fortress in Yapahuwa and the Temple of the tooth in Kandy are also notable for their architectural qualities. Ancient Sri Lankan architecture is also significant to sustainability, notably Sigiriya which was designed as an environmentally friendly structure.

Canal de Marseille

The Canal de Marseille is a major source of drinking water for all of Marseille, the largest city in Provence, France. The canal along its main artery is 80 kilometres (50 mi) long but has additional 160 kilometres (99 mi) of minor arteries. Its construction lasted 15 years and was directed by the engineer Franz Mayor de Montricher; the canal opened on July 8, 1849.

The Tongariro Power Scheme is a 360 MW hydroelectricity scheme in the central North Island of New Zealand. The scheme is currently operated by electricity generation company Genesis Energy.

Architecture of Sri Lanka

The architecture of Sri Lanka displays a rich variety of architectural forms and styles. Shaivism has had a many influence on early Sri Lankan architecture, during the region of King Ravana, then Buddhism has had a significant influence on Sri Lankan architecture, since it was introduced to the island in the 3rd Century BCE.

Taanka

A taanka, are also known as a tanka or kunds, is a traditional rainwater harvesting technique, common to the Thar desert region of Rajasthan, India. It is meant to provide drinking water for and water security for a family or a small group of families. A taanka is composed of a covered, underground, impermeable cistern on shallow ground for the collection of rainwater. The cistern is generally constructed out of stone or brick masonry, or concrete, with lime mortar or cement plaster. Rainwater or surface run-off from rooftops, courtyards, or artificially prepared catchments flow into the tank through filtered inlets in the wall of the pit.

Vacuum truck Tank truck with a pump designed to load material through suction lines

A vacuum truck or vacuum tanker is a tank truck that has a pump and a tank. The pump is designed to pneumatically suck liquids, sludges, slurries, or the like from a location into the tank of the truck. The objective is to enable transport of the liquid material via road to another location. Vacuum trucks transport the collected material to a treatment or disposal site, for example a sewage treatment plant.

Adyar River River in India

The Adyar or Adayar, originating near the Chembarambakkam Lake in Kanchipuram district, is one of the three rivers which winds through Chennai (Madras), Tamil Nadu, India, and joins the Bay of Bengal at the Adyar estuary. The 42.5-kilometre (26.4 mi) long river contributes to the estuarine ecosystem of Chennai. Despite the high pollution levels, boating and fishing take place in this river. The river collects surplus water from about 200 tanks and lakes, small streams and the rainwater drains in the city, with a combined catchment area of 860 square kilometres (331 sq mi). Most of the waste from the city is drained into this river and the Cooum.

Salina Turda

Salina Turda is a salt mine in the Durgău-Valea Sărată area of Turda, the second largest city in Cluj County, northwest Romania. Opened for tourists in 1992, the Salina Turda mine was visited by about 618,000 Romanian and foreign tourists in 2017.

Iranamadu Tank

Iranamadu Tank is an irrigation tank in northern Sri Lanka, approximately 3 mi (5 km) south east of Kilinochchi.