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Gonagolla Vihara
Gonagolla Vihara ( Sinhalaː ගොනාගොල්ල විහාරය) is an ancient cave temple situated in Ampara District, Sri Lanka. The vihara is also known as Punchi Seegiriya (''Little Sigiriya'') by the locals since the temple contains ancient frescoes similar to those in Sigiriya. The site is in Kotmale Canal Settlement in Wewagampattuwa Division and lies about east of Kohombana Junction on Ampara – Gonagolla Road. The temple has been formally recognised by the government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka. The designation was declared on 10 October 2014 under the government Gazette number 1884. History There is clear evidence that the rock caves of the temple were occupied by ancient Vedda people as their paintings can be found nearby in the rock caves. Two more caves in the Vihara premises contains Brahmi rock inscriptions dating back to 3-5th centuries. The remains of two ancient ponds, and the Stupa of Anuradhapura era, next to the frescoes cave ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gonagolla
Gonagolla ( si, ගොනාගොල්ල, ta, கொனாகொல்ல) is a town in the Ampara District, Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It is located north of Ampara Ampara ( si, අම්පාර, ta, அம்பாறை) is the main town of Ampara District, governed by an Urban Council. It is located in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, about east of Colombo and approximately south of Batticaloa. Hi ... on the Ampara Uhana Maha Oya Highway (A27). The Gonagolla Vihara, a historic cave temple, which is formally listed as an archaeological site, is located nearby on the road to Ampara. Schools * Dudley Senanayake College * Rajagalatenna Maha Vidyalaya ( Sinhala: අම්/රජගලතැන්න මහා විද්යාලය) Reference Towns in Ampara District {{EasternLK-geo-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Gazette Of The Democratic Socialist Republic Of Sri Lanka
''The Sri Lanka Gazette'', officially ''The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka'', ( si, ශ්රී ලංකා ප්රජාතාන්ත්රික සමාජවාදී ජනරජයේ ගැසට් පත්රය, translit=Shrī Laṁkā Prajātāntrika Samājavādī Janarajayē Gæsaṭ Patraya}; ta, இலங்கை ஜனநாயக சோசலிச குடியரசின் வர்த்தமானி, translit=Ilaṅkai Jaṉanāyaka Cōcalica Kuṭiyaraciṉ Varttamāṉi) is a public journal of the Government of Sri Lanka. It prints certain statutory notices from the government. Modeled after the '' Oxford Gazette'', the ''Sri Lanka Gazette'' is the oldest surviving newspaper in Sri Lanka, having been published continuously since 1802. Unlike other newspapers, it does not cover general news or have a large circulation. It is printed by the Department of Government Printing. History The British captured ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Archaeological Protected Monuments In Ampara District
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeology can be considered both a social science and a branch of the humanities. It is usually considered an independent academic discipline, but may also be classified as part of anthropology (in North America – the four-field approach), history or geography. Archaeologists study human prehistory and history, from the development of the first stone tools at Lomekwi in East Africa 3.3 million years ago up until recent decades. Archaeology is distinct from palaeontology, which is the study of fossil remains. Archaeology is particularly important for learning about prehistoric societies, for which, by definition, there are no written records. Prehistory includes over 99% of the human past, from the Paleolithic until the advent of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buddhist Caves In Sri Lanka
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gradually spread throughout much of Asia via the Silk Road. It is the world's fourth-largest religion, with over 520 million followers (Buddhists) who comprise seven percent of the global population. The Buddha taught the Middle Way, a path of spiritual development that avoids both extreme asceticism and hedonism. It aims at liberation from clinging and craving to things which are impermanent (), incapable of satisfying ('), and without a lasting essence (), ending the cycle of death and rebirth (). A summary of this path is expressed in the Noble Eightfold Path, a training of the mind with observance of Buddhist ethics and meditation. Other widely observed practices include: monasticism; " taking refuge" in the Buddha, the , and the ; ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Buddhist Temples In Ampara District
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gradually spread throughout much of Asia via the Silk Road. It is the world's fourth-largest religion, with over 520 million followers (Buddhists) who comprise seven percent of the global population. The Buddha taught the Middle Way, a path of spiritual development that avoids both extreme asceticism and hedonism. It aims at liberation from clinging and craving to things which are impermanent (), incapable of satisfying ('), and without a lasting essence (), ending the cycle of death and rebirth (). A summary of this path is expressed in the Noble Eightfold Path, a training of the mind with observance of Buddhist ethics and meditation. Other widely observed practices include: monasticism; "taking refuge" in the Buddha, the , and the ; and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sinhala Language
Sinhala ( ; , ''siṁhala'', ), sometimes called Sinhalese (), is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken by the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka, who make up the largest ethnic group on the island, numbering about 16 million. Sinhala is also spoken as the first language by other ethnic groups in Sri Lanka, totalling about 2 million people as of 2001. It is written using the Sinhala script, which is a Brahmic scripts, Brahmic script closely related to the Grantha script of South India. Sinhala is one of the official and national languages of Sri Lanka. Along with Pali, it played a major role in the development of Theravada, Theravada Buddhist literature. The early form of the Sinhala language, is attested as early as the 3rd century BCE. The language of these inscriptions with long vowels and aspirated consonants is a Prakrit similar to Magadhi, a regional associate of the Middle Indian Prakrits that has been used during the time of the Buddha. The closest ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schools as well as modern Theravada Buddhism, a bodhisattva (Pali: ''bodhisatta'') refers to someone who has made a resolution to become a Buddha and has also received a confirmation or prediction from a living Buddha that this will be so. In Mahayana Buddhism, a bodhisattva refers to anyone who has generated ''bodhicitta'', a spontaneous wish and compassionate mind to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. Mahayana bodhisattvas are spiritually heroic persons that work to attain awakening and are driven by a great compassion (''mahakaruṇā''). These beings are exemplified by important spiritual qualities such as the "four divine abodes" (''brahmaviharas'') of loving-kindness ('' metta''), compassion (''karuṇā''), empathet ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Department Of Archaeology (Sri Lanka)
The Department of Archaeology ('','' ) is a non-ministerial government department in Sri Lanka responsible for managing the archaeological heritage. History In 1868, seven years after the establishment of the Archaeological Survey of India, Governor Sir Hercules Robinson appointed the Committee on Ancient Architecture in Ceylon, to obtain information regarding the ancient architectural works of Ceylon. In 1871 Joseph Lawton was commissioned by the Committee to photograph the principal structures and ruins at Anuradhapura, Mihintale, Polonnaruwa and Sigirya. His photographs are used extensively in Smither's publication, ''Architectural Remains Anuradhapura, Ceylon: the Dugabas and Certain Other Ancient Ruined Structures''. Between 1873 and 1875, under the direction of Governor Sir William Gregory, a complete site survey of structural remains at Anuradhapura was undertaken. The work was carried out by James George Smither, the principal architect at the Public Works Department ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vatadage
A vaṭadāge ( si, වටදාගෙ) is a type of Buddhist structure found in Sri Lanka. It also known as a ''dage'', ''thupagara'' and a ''cetiyagara''. Although it may have had some Indian influence, it is a structure that is more or less unique to the architecture of ancient Sri Lanka. Vatadages were built around small stupas for their protection, which often enshrined a relic or were built on hallowed ground. Circular in shape, they were commonly built of stone and brick and adorned with elaborate stone carvings. Vatadages may have also had a wooden roof, supported by a number of stone columns arranged in several concentric rows. Only ten vatadages now remain in Sri Lanka. The builders of many of these monuments are unknown, as are their time of creation. The oldest such construction is believed to be the one surrounding the Thuparamaya. The best example of a vatadage is generally believed to be the Polonnaruwa Vatadage. Along with it, the vatadages at Medirigiriya and Thir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stupa
A stupa ( sa, स्तूप, lit=heap, ) is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics (such as ''śarīra'' – typically the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns) that is used as a place of meditation. In Buddhism, circumambulation or ''pradakhshina'' has been an important ritual and devotional practice since the earliest times, and stupas always have a ''pradakhshina'' path around them. The original South Asian form is a large solid dome above a tholobate or drum with vertical sides, which usually sits on a square base. There is no access to the inside of the structure. In large stupas there may be walkways for circumambulation on top of the base as well as on the ground below it. Large stupas have or had ''vedikā'' railings outside the path around the base, often highly decorated with sculpture, especially at the torana gateways, of which there are usually four. At the top of the dome is a thin vertical element, with one of more horizontal discs spreadin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brahmi
Brahmi (; ; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system of ancient South Asia. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as 'lath' or 'Lat', 'Southern Aśokan', 'Indian Pali', 'Mauryan', and so on. The application to it of the name Brahmi [''sc. lipi''], which stands at the head of the Buddhist and Jaina script lists, was first suggested by T[errien] de Lacouperie, who noted that in the Chinese Buddhist encyclopedia ''Fa yiian chu lin'' the scripts whose names corresponded to the Brahmi and Kharosthi of the ''Lalitavistara'' are described as written from left to right and from right to left, respectively. He therefore suggested that the name Brahmi should refer to the left-to-right 'Indo-Pali' script of the Aśokan pillar inscriptions, and Kharosthi to the right-to-left 'Bactro-Pali' script of the rock inscriptions from the northwest." that appeared as a full ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vedda People
The Vedda ( si, වැද්දා , ta, வேடர் (''Vēḍar'')), or Wanniyalaeto, are a minority indigenous group of people in Sri Lanka who, among other sub-communities such as Coast Veddas, Anuradhapura Veddas and Bintenne Veddas, are accorded indigenous status. The Vedda minority in Sri Lanka may become completely assimilated. Most speak Sinhala instead of their indigenous languages, which are nearing extinction. It has been hypothesized that the Vedda were probably the earliest inhabitants of Sri Lanka and have lived on the island since before the arrival of other ethnic groups in India. The Ratnapura District, which is part of the Sabaragamuwa Province, is known to have been inhabited by the Veddas in the distant past. This has been shown by scholars like Nandadeva Wijesekera. The very name ''Sabaragamuwa'' is believed to have meant the village of the ''Sabaras'' or "forest barbarians". Place-names such as ''Vedda-gala'' (Vedda Rock), ''Vedda-ela'' (Vedda Cana ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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