Contents

Acknowledgements lll-V
List of plates Vl
Maps Vll-V111

:hapter One: Introduction 1-63

The earliest wall painting tradition

Buddhist mural painting tradition
Survey of literature
The scope of the research

:hapter Two: Cultural and religious interactions between India and Sri Lanka 64-124
during the ancient period ·

Prehistory of Sri Lanka

Historic periods
Buddhist interactions
The traditional view and the sphere of art

:hapter Three: Chronology. location and historicity of the sites of the 125-206
Buddhist mural paintings of peninsular India and Sri Lanka

Commencement ofBuddhist painting tradition

Chronology and location of the Buddhist mural paintings:
Sites in India:
Ajanta caves
Bagh caves
Ellora caves
Sites in Sri Lanka:
Karambagala
Sigiriya
V essagiriya
Hindagala
Gonagolla
Pulligoda cave - Dimbulagala
Dambulla
Vestibules (Vahalkadas) of Anuradhapura
The relic chamber ofMihintale stupa
The relic chamber ofMahiyangana stupa
Sutigara cetiya, Dadigama
Northern (Tivamka) temple ofPolonnaruva
The Galviharaya
The Lamkatilaka
Potgulvehera
Maravidiya ofDimbulagala
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Chapter Four: Narrative styles and the special characteristics of the paintings 207-278

Compositional arrangements and the narrative styles of the paintings oflndia

Styles and the compositional arrangements of the paintings of Sri Lanka
Painted labels
The human form
The lines and the draughtsmanship
The colours and their application

Chapter Five: The techniques. plasters and pigments of the murals and 279-345
the instruments of the painters

The canons of painting

The support and the ground of the paintings
The technique
The pigments and the binding medium of the paints
Instruments ofthe painters

Chapter Six: The themes of the Buddhist paintings and the canonical texts 346-433

Identification of the themes of paintings

The Jataka stories
The life story of the Buddha
The concepts of thousand Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and divine beings
Other themes
Buddhist canonical texts

Chapter Seven: Social context of the paintings 434-516

Painting in society: The painters and their social status

The concept of patronage and the patrons of paintings
Perspectives of the donors, painters and the monks
Society in painting: Painting as a source

Conclusion: 517-533
Bibliography: 534-586
Plates: I-XXVII