SRI LANKA HOLIDAYS: ISURUMUNIYA

SRI LANKA HOLIDAYS: ISURUMUNIYA, Anuradhapura Sri Lanka bunpeiris

Isurumuniya Rock temple built in the 3^rd Century BC is one of the most attractive & peaceful attractions in the ancient city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. The rock temple carved house of solid rock by the side of a man-made square pond, houses magnificent statue of Buddha. Around the temple & at the museum next to the temple are some of the finest rock carvings of ancient Lanka.

A cleft in the rock that is a home to thousands of bats is a fascination to the nature lover. You & climb up the stone cut stairs of the temple & enjoy a panoramic view of the magnificent landscape of the small villages.

Following extract is by courtesy of Ratna Paranavitana
Sinhalayo by illustrious Dr. Senerat Paranavitana (1876-1972), the first Ceylonese Archeological Commissioner in Sri Lanka ISBN 955-9170-20-1

The bas-relief of a young warrior on a stone seat with a charming young damsel seated on his lap is a very pleasing work of the sculptor’s art. It has characteristics associated with the Gupta School in India. The graceful limbs of the women & the expression of coyness & satisfaction in her face are in striking contrast with the coarse & sensuous features of the man. The scene depicted has not been definitely ascertained, as the original provenance of the sculpture has not been recorded. It might have come from the Royal Pleasure Gardens adjoining the so-called Isurumuni, where the sculpture is to be seen now, & may be a representation of Prince Saliya & the Chandala maiden Asokamala, for whose sake he renounces the throne.

Carved in the sunken relief on the face of the rock at the same place is the figure of a man seated in the pose called the ‘royal ease” (maharaja-lila) with the head of a horse behind him. It is in a severe & simple style, the delineation of the bodily feature being rendered with a great economy. The subject depicted has been identified as the sage Kapila by Coomaraswamy: but it is more likely to be the representation of the god Parjanya, the personification of the cloud, & Agni in the form of the horse. The sculpture is reminiscent in style of the rock relief at Mahabalipuram, of the descent of Ganga, & is in the Pallava style of about the seventh century.

At isurumuni is also to be seen a bas-relief which appears to be narrative in intention, & which gives us some idea of the grouping of figures & composition adopted by sculpture cannot be definitely determined, but may represent Prince Saliya with Asokamala before King Dutthagamini.

The bas-reliefs of elephants sporting amidst lotuses cared on the face of the rock at Isurumni, & in a pond in the adjoining Royal Park, exhibit great skill on the part of the sculptor in representing these beasts in various attitudes.