History of Architecture III

SRI LANKAN
ARCHITECTURE
SRI LANKAN ARCHITECTURE

HISTORY OF SRI LANKA

• Located in South Asia formerly known as CEYLON

• The Indigenous name of CEYLON is LANKA which means SHINING

OR RESPLENDENT.

• The new constitution of the island promulgated in MAY 1972,

restored to the island its old rightful name of SRI LANKA.

• Capital City is SRI JAYAWARDENEPURA KOTTE

• Commercial capital is COLOMBO

HISTORY OF SRI LANKA

• BUDDHISM has a significant influence on SRI LANKAN
ARCHITECTURE, since it was introduced to the island in the 3rd
century BCE.

• KINGDOM OF KANDY

-an independent monarchy of the island old SRI LANKA

• KANDY

-major city in SRI LANKA

• MANJUSRI VASTHU VIDYA SASTRA

-manuscript of the 5th century or 6th century CE that gives the

basis on which SRI LANKAN Buddhist monasteries are constructed.

• SANSKRIT

-is a language of ancient India with a 3,500-year history

• SINHALA SCRIPT

-writing system used by the sinhalese people.

• MAHAYANA

-is one the two main existing branches of Buddhism.

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS IN SRI LANKA
• BUDDHISM

-has been considered the state religion.

• HINDUISM

-second most populous religion which makes up 12.6% of the

entire population.

• ISLAM

-Started to grow in the7th century with the arrival of Arab traders

who by the 8th century had taken control of the Indian ocean and the
middle east trading routes.

• ROMAN CATHOLIC CHRISTIANITY

-forms the least number of inhabitants in the country at 6.1%

• OTHER FROMS OF CHRISTIANITY

-1.3% of the general population in SRI LANKA are Protestants who

were mainly converted by the Dutch-after the departure of the
Portuguese.

• ATHEISM IN SRI LANKA

-0.1% of the general population do not believe in any religion.

GEOGRAPHICAL, GEOLOGICAL AND CLIMATIC,

• GEOGRAPHICAL

-SRI LANKA or formerly know as Ceylon, is a large island in the

Indian ocean 32km off the southern tip of the Indian peninsula

• GEOLOGICAL

-The dry areas have teak, satin and other hardwoods, all of which
have been used in the building crafts.

• CLIMATIC

-ceylon is divided into three climatic zones, which have given rise
to special building characteristics
ARCHITECTURE IN SRI LANGKA
a. Cave temples
• Mihintale – where the earliest evidence of rudimentary
cave temples was found.
Features:

• use of a drip ledge carved along the top edge of the rock
ceiling which stopped rain water running into the cave
• With time doors, windows and walls of brick or stone
• roof and walls were plastered white and finished with
decorative paintings

Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple

• Located in central Sri Lanka

• Inhabited by forest-dwelling Buddhist monks since the 3rd
century BCE
• these natural caves have been transformed into one of the
largest and most outstanding Buddhist complexes in the
Southern and South Eastern Asian region
• showcasing innovative approaches to interior layout and
decoration
• A sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries
• This cave monastery, have five sanctuaries
• The largest, best-preserved cave-temple complex in Sri
Lanka.
• The Buddhist mural paintings (covering an area of 2,100
m2 ) are of particular importance, as are the 157 statues.
• remarkable in the Buddhist world for its association with
the continuous tradition of living Buddhist ritual practices
and pilgrimage for more than two millennia
b. Dagobas or Stupas

• the world's most universal Buddhist architectural

symbol.
• The Sanskrit word "stupa" originally means "heap".
• the stupa is often referred to as "dagoba" and "dagaba",
derived from the Pali term "dhatu gabbha", meaning
"relics in the womb"
• are significant to the architectural and engineering
development in the island
• stupas designed and constructed in Sri Lanka are the
largest brick structures known to the pre-modern world
• construction of stupas was considered acts of great
merit
• purpose of stupas was mainly to enshrine relics of
Buddha
• Stupa design are admired for its structural perfection
and stability.
• Emperor Asoka is believed to have constructed 84000
Stupas
• Almost every Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka has a stupa.
Most of them are painted white and many of them are
placed on a granite boulder, making the contrast of the
white stupa and the dark underground a characteristic
feature of Sinhalese monastic architecture - and a
landmark of Sri Lanka.
c. Demala Maha Seya

• Located in Anuradhapura, North Central Province, Sri Lanka

• Original Height: 122 m (400 ft), Current Height: 71 m (233
ft)
• built by King Parakramabahu
• uncompleted Stupa known as Damila Maha Seya (Demala
Maha Seya)
• was the world's tallest stupa (122 metres) and the third
tallest structure in the world when it was built by King
Mahasena of Anuradhapura
• If it had been able to complete, would be 186 meters (570
feet) tall and would have been the largest Buddhist
monument ever built by man
• circumference of this stupa is massive 650 meters
• king Parakramabahu wanted this monument to be seen
from India, thus the planed the size accordingly
• Some say the name of the stupa came up because the king used
the labor of Tamil (Demala) prisoners brought from India. Others
say it was called “Demahal” because it was built at two levels,
which later became “Demala”.

d. Jetavanaramaya

• located in the ruins of Jetavana in the sacred world heritage

city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
• represents the tensions within the Theravada and
Mahayana sects of Buddhism
• height of the stupa is 400 feet (122 m), making it the tallest
stupa in the ancient world
• no longer the tallest, but it is still the largest, with a base-
area of 233,000 m2 (2,508,000 sq ft)
 With the destruction and abandonment of Anuradhapura
kingdom in the 11th century, the stupa was covered by jungle. King
Parakramabahu in 12th century tried to renovate this stupa and it
was rebuilt to the current height, a reduction from the original
height. Today it stands at 71 metres (233 ft).

e. Vatage
• considered to be one of ancient Sri Lanka's most prolific
architectural creations
• were built around small stupas for their protection
• 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
• may have also had a wooden roof, supported by a number
of stone columns arranged in several concentric rows
• columns on the inner row were the highest, while the heights of
the columns in the outer rows gradually diminished as they
spread further from the center

Pollonurawa vatage
• an ancient structure dating back to the Kingdom of
Polonnaruwa of Sri Lanka
• believed to have been built during the reign
of Parakramabahu I to hold the Relic of the tooth of the
Buddha or during the reign of Nissanka Malla of
Polonnaruwa to hold the alms bowl used by the Buddha
• lower platform is entered through a single entrance facing
the north
• the second platform can be accessed through four
doorways facing the four cardinal points
• upper platform, surrounded by a brick wall, contains the
stupa
• Four Buddha statues are seated around it, each facing one
of the entrances
• Three concentric rows of stone columns had also been
positioned here, presumably to support a wooden roof.

f. Meditation houses

• The meditation houses found in the forest monasteries

in Ritigala and Arankele are unique to Sri Lanka. Each house
consists of two raised platforms, linked to each other by
a monolithic stone bridge. The outer platform is open to the
sky, larger and higher than the inner platform.
• These meditation houses achieved a very high degree of
perfection in their architecture, the design combined
square and rectangular shapes and yet
maintained symmetry, indicating the architects'
sophisticated knowledge of geometry. The stone masonry
is also of a very high standard.
• The basements of these buildings were constructed of
monumental blocks of stone, cut to different sizes, carefully
dressed and very finely fitted together. The bridge
connecting the two platforms was formed out of a single
slab of stone. Some such slabs measured 15 feet (5 m) by
13 feet (4 m). The sides have been cut with precision where
the joints between the slab and the stone moulding of the
platforms are hardly perceptible.
Meditation house in Ritigala

• The meditation house in ritigala is situated at the eastern

base and slope of the highest mountain in the
Northwestern Province
• Neither Buddha statues nor stupas nor Bo-tree terraces can
be seen here
• representing an alternative style of classical Sinhalese
monastic architecture, which is called Padhanagara Pirivena
• Padhanagaras are double platforms connected by a bridge
• Ritigala being the largest and best specimen

Meditation house in Arankele

• about 100 feet in length and 60 feet in breadth
• a natural habitat, hence mountainous slopes and plateaus
are common sightings around here
• terrain is densely wooded, surrounded by massive
hardwood trees spaced around the openings
• there are many buildings such as hot water bathing houses,
parapet encircling Bo trees, promenades, ponds and caves
• home to the largest hot water pond in Sri Lanka
• visible here are remnants of grinding stones used to
prepare Ayurvedic medicines
• recent discovery of these ruins proves the presence of a
large Ayurvedic hospital
• water troughs surrounded the buildings in order to keep
the interior cool

g. Palaces
• All the palaces had the same ground plan
• set in a rectangular area enclosed by galleries with an entrance
from the east
• spacious courtyard in front acted as a reception room, where
sitting was not allowed
• flight of steps led to a central building where there was an
imposing pillared hall with a dais at the end
• Around the royal complex were over fifty small cells, in two or
three rows
Sigiriya

• Believed to have been built in reminiscence of

Alakamandawa, the legendary palace of Kuvera
• a palace and a pleasure garden built atop a 200 meter rock
in the Fifth century AC by King Kashyapa
• considered one of the best urban planning sites of the first
millennium as the plan includes concepts of symmetry and
asymmetry, combining man-made structures and natural
forms of the surroundings
• west side of the rock is a park for the royals, laid out on a
symmetrical plan, containing reservoirs and ponds,
including sophisticated surface and subsurface hydraulic
systems, which are in working condition even today
• Fun Fact: Having seized the power after killing his father
through a coup, Price Kashyapa, the son of King Dathusena
born to a non-royal consort, chose to establish his kingdom
in Sigiriya, away from Anuradhapura, the seat of power at
 the moment. Fearing military threats by Price Moggallana,
the rightful heir to the throne, King Kashyapa, chose to build
his castle on a strategically beneficial position, on the top of
200 meter tall Sihagiriya.

Royal palace in Polonnaruwa

• the once grand residence of King Parakramabahu

• the Polonnaruwa Royal Palace would have been a complex
of buildings, some as high as seven storeys
• remains now are a pretty set of ruins, with some walls still
standing
• at the south of the main palace, one can see the remains of
the king’s audience hall and his bathing pools
• had 1000 rooms
• palace may have been destroyed by fire
 h. Pool design
Kuttam Pokuna

• located in the Sacred City of Anuradhapura in North Central

Province, Sri Lanka
• "Twin Ponds" are another hydrologic engineering marvels
of the ancient sri lanka
• Used by monks for bathing
• Built during the reign of King Aggabodhi
• are extremely well preserved, with their stone steps still
intact
• one of the best examples of the construction of a royal bath
• flight of long narrow steps led to an oblong shaped pond
that had graduated gangways
• water was conducted by underground pipelines from the
canal nearby and led into the bath by two makara gargoyles
• A garden was landscaped which separates the two ponds
which long is 18½ ft
• larger pool of the two is 132 ft by 51 ft, while the smaller
pool is 91 ft by 51 ft
• depths of the two pools is 14 ft and 18 ft for the smaller
pool and the larger pool respectively
 • staircases to get down to the ponds and are decorated with
“Punkalas”or pots as a symbol of prosperity in ancient
buildings

i. Audience halls
Polonnaruwa also has the remains of two magnificent audience
halls. They are the public audience halls of Parakramabahu and
council chamber of Nissanka Malla. Parakramabahu's council
chamber was a three-tiered oblong structure built on a broad
terrace, facing north, and consisted of an entrance provided with
two flights of steps, having a gangway in between at ground level.
The pillars in the council halls at Polonnaruwa are square at the
bottom, octagonal in the middle and square again at the top.

Public audience halls of Parakramabahu

• The Audience Hall was built by King Parakramabahu the

Great in Polonnaruwa
• It was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I
Council chamber of Nissanka Malla

• located in the Dipauyana premises

in Polonnaruwa District of North Central Province, Sri
Lanka
• has been identified as the Council Chamber of
King Nissankamalla (1187 – 1196 A.D.)
• the lion figure made of the stone itself identifies as the
throne of the king
• inscriptions on the pillars indicate the seating arrangement
of the respective ministers and state officials
 Anuradhapura Period (4th Century B.C. to 10th
Century A.D)

- The kingdom of Anuradhapura (377 BCE to

1017 CE), named for its capital city
o Anuradhapura was founded by a minister of King
Vijaya whose name was Anuradha. King Vijaya of an
Indo Aryan origin arrived in Sri Lanka on the latter
part of the 6th Century BC and started the
settlement by the side of Malwathu Oya (River
Malwatu) . Anuradhapura remained as a Kingdom
for almost 15 centuries and was a prominent
political and trade center in South Asia during this
period
o In the 4th century BC, King Pandukabhaya made
Anuradhapura the capital of his Kingdom.
o Later Anuradhapura became a ruined city and the
architectural remains can still be seen and gives a
glimpse of what had been the country at that time.

- Sri Lankan art and architecture was deeply

influenced by Buddhism
which was introduced to the island in the third century BCE by the
son of Ashoka, Mahinda. Ashoka, the great Buddhist emperor of
the Maurya Dynasty, dedicated himself to the propagation of the
religion across Asia. Sri Lanka has the longest continuous history of
Buddhism of any Buddhist nation, and its culture reflects its
religious tradition.

- The earliest remains are the natural rock

chambers, built for the hermits, with drip-
ledges to carry away rain water
Later these were developed with walls to form an enclosure rock
(temples).
 - A noteworthy feature of Sinhalese
architecture was the sensitivity shown
towards the natural landscape and its
intimate relationship to the buildings
- The construction of stupas was noticeable
not only during the Anuradhapura
Kingdom but throughout the history of Sri
Lanka. Stupas were built enshrining an
object of worship.
Sri Lankan stupas were among the largest brick structures known
to the premodern world. Intended to enshrine relics of the Buddha,
they were built in various shapes, including the bubble, the pot, and
the bell. The Sri Lankan stupa is characterized by its vahalkada, or
frontispiece. It is a structure, often ornately carved, that joins the
stupa and often uses cardinal directions as a decorative flourish.
 Jetavanaramaya stupa
One of the most famous stupas in Sri Lanka is the Jetavanaramaya
stupa, which was built during the 3rd and 4th centuries CE in the
sacred city of Anuradhapura; it is believed to house a part of a sash
of the Buddha. Built from baked bricks bound with limestone ,
sand, and clay and coated with lime plaster, this stupa stands at
400 feet and was the tallest stupa in the ancient world.

MAIN FEATURES OF STUPAS

1-3 Basal Rings

4 Dome

5 Square Chamber

6 Cylinder/s

7 Spire

8 Minaret

9 Crystal
THE SHAPES OF STUPA
Dageba/Stupa can be categorized to the following shapes.

“Bubbulakara”
The shape of water bubble e.g. (Ruwanweli stupa)

“Gantakara”
The shape of a bell which has been turned upside down e.g.
(Thuparama stupa)
 “Dhannyakara”
The shape of a heap of paddy e.g. (Kelani stupa)

“Ghatakara”
The shape of a pot which has been turned upside down (Somawathiya
Chaitya)
 “Padmakara”
The shape of a lotus bloomed e.g. (Dedigama stupa)

“Amlakara”
The shape of the fruit called “nelli” (cannot be seen in Sri Lanka)
No records exist of the finding of this type of stupa in Sri Lanka.
Another type of stupa is mentioned in the book "Manju Sri Vasthu Vidya
Shastra"
STATISTICS OF ANCIENT BRICKS THAT WERE
USED TO BUILD GREAT STUPAS IN
ANURADHAPURA
“Thupaghara” or (“Watadageya”)
The circular building constructed for the stuapa is known as
thupaghara, dhatugara or watadageya.

Ruined Stupa at Hatthikucchi

According to the archaeologists the ruins of one of the oldest
thupaghara can be found in Hachchikuchchi temple in Rajangana in
the Anuradhapura District. The square shape boundaries around
the stupa can still be seen together with the granite pillars around.
Those pillars can be considered as ruins of the structure that
covered the stupa. There were entrances from all four sides of the
building to the dagaba. No any other religious constructions or
items can be found closer to the stupa at the inception. Eventually
it became a practise to place statues of Lord Buddha around the
stupa and do the paintings and carvings inside the thupaghara.
 Anuradhapura Moonstone

The Famous Anuradhapura Moonstone at the entrance of

Bisomaligaya or the Queen's Palace. Centre is a half of Lotus, then
a half circle of a line of foliage. Then a half circle of a line of geese
carrying a bud of flower. Then another foliage pattern and the
outer half circle has elephants, horses, lions and bulls.

The introduction plaque states that this is one of the exceptionally

artistic moonstones found is Sri Lanka belonging in to 8-10th
Century AD. The diameter of this famous moonstone is 9 feet and
7 inches. The 'Pala Pethi' design or the inner most design with leave
shapes around a half circle denotes the world being on fire. The
beings going through Samsara by the quadrupeds, craving by the
festoons, pious by the swans, attenuation of craving by small
festoons, and the Lotus by the Enlightenment.
The outer most circle of the Moonstone of Anuradhapura indicates
fire waves. Next to it indicates images of Elephant, horse, lion and
bull one after the other and repeating the pattern to have a
procession of 13 animals. The other inner circle shows leaves and
creeper. The next inner circle depicts 13 swans having Lotus
flowers holding by the beak. The most inner circle is a magnificent
Lotus flower image.

POLONNARUWA PERIOD
(11TH TO 13TH CENTURY)

POLONNARUWA
• Was a great city in sri lanka, being second only to ancient city of
anuradhapura
• Buildings in the city was prinicipal architectural undertaking of
king parakramabahu i (1153 - 86 ad)
• Due to invasion from the chalos of south india, the kingdom was
under the rule for about 73 years.
• The outstanding architectura; creation was cetiya-ghara, the
watadage

VATADAGE
Originally used as a relic house for the temple of the tooth - the dalada
maligawa

Built around small stupas for protection

Stupa is located at the center of raised circular platforms

 KANDYAN PERIOD
(15th - 19th Century)

➢ After the fall of the Kingdom of Kotte, the Kandyan Kingdom was
the last Independent monarchy of Sri Lanka.

➢ This period saw the division of the country into several

kingdoms, with the capital at Kandy in an area initially undisturbed
by foreign interferences.

➢ The Portuguese and dutch introduced the late Renaissance and

Baroque to the colonial styles, hile the British brought a colonial
“Georgian”.

➢ Kandyan Style is an architecture of wood, catering to the needs

of a simple but well-to-do agricultural civilization.

➢ There are many building types existing; Mostly monasteries with

their temples.

➢ The decorative art work is important. Ancient motifs are use as

an integral part of the building, such as windows with lacquered
wood bars, carved timber doorways, ornamental metal work door
furniture, painted walls, terra cotta relief with plaques and eaves
tiles.

➢ All these arts practiced with ancient lion, lotus geese, and
makara motifs.
Sri Dalada Maligawa
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic commonly known as Glorious
Tooth Temple is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka

➢ It is located in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom

of Kandy, which houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha

➢ The brick wall which runs along the moat and Bogambara lake is
known as water waves wall.

➢ Holes in this wall are built to light coconut oil lamps. The main
entrance gate which lies over the moat is called Mahawahalkada.
➢ At the foot of Mahawahalkada steps, there is a Sandakada
pahana (moonstone) which is carved in Kandyan architectural style.
Mahawahalkada was totally destroyed in a 1998 bomb blast and
rebuilt afterward along with Sandakada pahana other stone
carvings

➢ Elephants are depicted in stone on either side of the entrance.

A Makara Torana and two guardian stones are placed on top of the
staircase.

➢ Hewisi drummers' chamber is situated in front of the main

shrine.

➢ The two storeys of the main shrine are known as "Palle malaya"
(lower floor) and "Udu malaya" (upper floor) or "Weda hitina
maligawa"

➢ The doors of the Weda Hitana Maligawa are Ivory carvings. The
actual chamber in which the tooth relic is kept is known as the
"Handun kunama".

➢ The golden canopy over the main shrine, built in 1987 by Prime
Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa, and the golden fence which
encircles the main shrine are other notable features.

➢ The tooth relic is encased in seven golden caskets which are

engraved with precious gemstones

. ➢ The caskets have a shape of a stupa. The procession casket

which is used during the Kandy Esala Perahera is also displayed in
the same chamber.
HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE III
PREPARED BY GROUP 2
BS ARCHITECTURE 3-1
MAPALO, GABRIELLE MARAE
MARALIT, JOHN
MARASIGAN, NIÑA GRACE
MERANO, LYCA
MUYNA, RAYMOND