Download or read book Religious Architecture in Early and Medieval Sri Lanka written by Roland Silva and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Buddhist Monastic Architecture in Sri Lanka written by Anuradha Seneviratna and published by Abhinav Publications. This book was released on 1992 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Little Attention Has Hitherto Been Given To The Role Of Timber Construction In Sri Lanka S Ancient Architecture, And Its Photo-Coverage Has Not Until Now Appeared In One Place. The Buildings Described Here Are Mostly Close To Folk Architecture But They Comprise An Important Part Of The Ancient Building Tradition Of Monsoon Asia An Immense Area That Includes Parts Of India, Nepal, Burma, Bali, And Japan, As Well As Sri Lanka Itself. Buddhist Monastic Architecture In Sri Lanka Makes A Permanent Contribution To South Asian Studies.The Authors Search Out The Ancient Picturesque Temples In The Central Hills. Guided By The Well-Known Scholar, Professor Seneviratna, The Book Centers On Colour Photographs Taken By Architect Polk During An Eight Month Sojourn In 1980-81. Both Archaeological And Architectural Expertise Thus Combine, And Added To This Is The Research Into The Writings Of Early Travelers, Researched By Emily Polk, Poet And Painter, Who Has Put The Threads Of History Of Those Adventurous Days Into A Dramatic Form.This Collaboration Is The Result Of Their Common Interest In The Ancient Architecture Of South Asia, And Is Written Hoping That Continuities From Past To Future May Be Maintained In These Troubled Present Times.In Sri Lanka There Are Forests Where Modern Ways Have Not Overwhelmed Tradition And Where The Old Wood Buildings Still Flicker In The Magic Of The Trees. Here Is The Drama Of The Land And Its People: The Stream ;Of Pure Notes From An Invisible Flautist, The First Glimpse Of Adam S Peak, The Romantic Narrative Of The Sacred Tooth Kept Secret For 900 Years Before Emerging In Serendib. And Then Kandy, Where High On The Island The Winds From The Bay Of Bengal And The Indian Ocean Are On A Collision Course And The Sensation Of Colours, Movements And Light Is Electrifying. So, We Believe, Is This Book.
Download or read book Temples to the Buddha and the Gods written by Sujatha Arundathi Meegama and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2024 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Temples to the Buddha and the Gods analyzes the patronage of diverse image houses built in the transnational Drāviḍa tradition of architecture in Sri Lanka--an architectural tradition that has been adopted across the Indian Ocean, from the premodern to the contemporary. Although the Drāviḍa tradition is generally associated with Hindu temple architecture, in Sri Lanka it was deployed to build temples to the Buddha as well as to Hindu and Buddhist deities. Framed along ethno-religious binaries, it is seen as "foreign" or "provincial" in previous studies of Sri Lanka's art histories. In contrast, this book argues that temples constructed in the Drāviḍa architectural tradition in the medieval and the early modern periods in Sri Lanka should be understood as part of the larger transnational architectural tradition. Sujatha Arundathi Meegama brings together different types of image houses built by various patrons (e.g., monarchs, monks, ministers, and merchants) that were previously considered in isolation and rarely included in the Sri Lankan art historical canon. Examining a range of evidence-architecture, inscriptions, and poetry-and synthesizing disparate scholarship on the religious cultures and the art histories of Sri Lanka, the author illustrates that there was a strong presence of shared architectural traditions, shared patterns of patronage, and shared religious practices among the diverse communities on this island. Generally, scholarship on South Asian architecture focuses on the role of rulers and other secular or religious elites as agents of religious architecture; in addition to these actors, this study highlights the roles of architects who specialized in the Drāviḍa tradition and those who experimented with it in stone, brick, and timber in different time periods. Revealing the centrality of this architectural tradition, Temples to the Buddha and the Gods offers a new perspective that contextualizes the cultural tradition of Sri Lanka and its place in the interconnected world of Indian Ocean"--
Download or read book Architecture and Nationalism in Sri Lanka written by Anoma Pieris and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The role of the home, the domestic sphere and the intimate, ethno-cultural identities that are cultivated within it, are critical to understanding the polemical constructions of country and city; tradition and modernity; and regionalism and cosmopolitanism. The home is fundamental to ideas of the homeland that give nationalism its imaginative form and its political trajectory. This book explores positions that are vital to ideas of national belonging through the history of colonial, bourgeois self-fashioning and post colonial identity construction in Sri Lanka. The country remains central to related architectural discourses due to its emergence as a critical site for regional architecture, post-independence. Suggesting patterns of indigenous accommodation and resistance that are expressed through built form, the book argues that the nation grows as an extension of an indigenous private sphere, ostensibly uncontaminated by colonial influences, domesticating institutions and appropriating rural geographies in the pursuit of its hegemonic ideals. This ambitious, comprehensive, wide-ranging book presents an abundance of new and original material and many imaginative insights into the history of architecture and nationalism from the mid nineteenth century to the present day.
Download or read book The T mpi avihras of Sri Lanka written by Kapila D. Silva and published by Anthem Press. This book was released on 2021-07-06 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Ṭämpiṭavihāras of Sri Lanka focuses on one distinctive Buddhist architectural practice from pre-modern Sri Lanka – the construction of Buddha image-houses on elevated wooden platforms supported by stone pillars. As a centre of Buddhism, Sri Lanka has a rich tradition of erecting Buddha image-houses, the origin of which dates to the fifth century. Yet, the ṭämpiṭavihāra tradition only existed from the thirteenth to the nineteenth centuries. The ṭämpiṭavihāra is an exceptional type of image-house, not only for its specific timeframe and unique construction technology, but also for its complex architectural conception of the Buddhist worldview and soteriology. Except for this period of Sri Lankan history, this architectural exemplar does not exist in anytime or anywhere in the entire Buddhist world. This book examines the significant aspects of ṭämpiṭavihāra architecture and documents some of the distinctive examples with an analysis of their architectural design and symbolic content. Richly illustrated with photographs and drawings, the book is organized into two parts. The first part examines the significant historical, cultural, and architectural aspects of ṭämpiṭavihāras in depth. The second part documents fifty of the distinctive examples of ṭämpiṭavihāras in the country with an analysis of their architectural designs and symbolic content. Each example is illustrated with architectural drawings of its plans, elevations, and sections along with photographs. The book also includes a list of over 200 extant tämpiṭavihāras in the country. This book is the very first comprehensive examination of the subject of tämpiṭavihāras published in any language and made available for a global audience. It narrates the story of ṭämpiṭavihāras from a multidimensional perspective that involves architecture, anthropology, archaeology, art history, geography, history, sociology, and theology. Consequently, it appeals to a vast array of enthusiasts of these disciplines in addition to scholars in Asian studies, South Asian studies, Sri Lankan studies, and Buddhist studies.
Download or read book The Archaeology of Early Historic South Asia written by Frank Raymond Allchin and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1995-09-07 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A study of the cities and states of South Asia between c.800BC and AD 250.
Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Ritual and Religion written by Timothy Insoll and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2011-10-28 with total page 1135 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Ritual and Religion provides a comprehensive overview by period and region of the relevant archaeological material in relation to theory, methodology, definition, and practice. Although, as the title indicates, the focus is upon archaeological investigations of ritual and religion, by necessity ideas and evidence from other disciplines are also included, among them anthropology, ethnography, religious studies, and history. The Handbook covers a global span - Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and the Americas - and reaches from the earliest prehistory (the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic) to modern times. In addition, chapters focus upon relevant themes, ranging from landscape to death, from taboo to water, from gender to rites of passage, from ritual to fasting and feasting. Written by over sixty specialists, renowned in their respective fields, the Handbook presents the very best in current scholarship, and will serve both as a comprehensive introduction to its subject and as a stimulus to further research.
Download or read book A Time of Change Questioning the Collapse of Anuradhapura Sri Lanka written by Keir Magalie Strickland and published by Archaeopress Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2017-06-30 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reassesses the apparent collapse of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, through explicit reference to the archaeological record, rather than focusing solely upon textual sources which have been overly relied upon in previous studies.
Download or read book Robe and Plough written by Raṇavīra Guṇavardhana and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 1979 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book History and Archaeology of Sri Lanka written by Raṇavīra Guṇavardhana and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 676 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Sigiriya Royal Gardens written by Nilan Cooray and published by TU Delft. This book was released on 2012-10-19 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Besides the efforts that are of a descriptive and celebrative nature, studies related to Sri Lanka's historical built heritage largely view material remains in historical, sociological, socio-historical and semiological perspectives. There is hardly any serious attempt to view such material remains from a technical-analytical approach to understand the compositional aspects of their design. The 5th century AC royal complex at Sigiriya is no exception in this regard. The enormous wealth of information and the material remains unearthed during more than 100 years of field-based research by several generations of archaeologists provide an ideal opportunity for such analysis. The Sigiriya Royal Gardens fills the gap in research related to Sri Lanka's historical built heritage in general, and to Sigiriya in particular. Therefore, the present research attempts to read Sigiriya as a landscape architectonic design to expose its architectonic composition and design instruments.
Download or read book The Art and Archaeology of Sri Lanka written by Leelananda Prematilleka and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 896 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Dwelling of the War God the Art and Architecture of Embekke Dev le in Medieval and Early Modern Sri Lanka written by Lakshika Senarath Gamage and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Embekke deva le (house of god) is a Hindu temple dated to the fourteenth to eighteenth century of the Gampola and Kandy periods. Located in Embekke village in central Sri Lanka, the temple is dedicated to god Skandha, the god of war and victory. The central paradox of Embekke deva le is that it is a Hindu temple within a predominantly Sinhala Buddhist community with unusual woodcarvings in its Digg-ge (pillared hallway). The carvings are neither exclusively Hindu nor Buddhist and their purpose remains an ambiguity. By analyzing the historical shifts of the Gampola and Kandy periods, when the deva le was built and perhaps renovated, I propose that the fluidity of religious and social identities resulted in the eclectic collection of art and architecture in Embekke deva le and its contemporaneous temples, the Gadaladeniya and Lanka tilaka temples. I also argue that rather than being an example of Sri Lankan art that lacks a prototype, the iconography of Embekke woodcarvings draws from designs and motifs that are prevalent within the broader scope of South Asian art. Instead of isolating the woodcarvings as a collection that is specific to Sri Lanka, I place Embekke deva le in a more cosmopolitan historical setting where exchange of art and iconography took place frequently between sites and kingdoms. I propose that the appropriation of the pillars from a royal audience hall into a Hindu shrine has re-articulated the Digg-ge's architectural space; the variety of seemingly secular and non-secular mythical motifs in the woodcarvings create a visual transitionary point for the devotees as they move from the mundane to the sacred. Instead of compartmentalizing the historical narrative, I address the significant South Indian presence in Gampola and Kandy that is underscored by exchanges with South India and migrant artisans of the Vis vakarma caste. In conclusion, I argue that as a visual testament to the cultural syncretism during the diverse period between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries, Embekke deva le along with its two neighboring temples reflects the continuation of both Sri Lankan and South Indian architectural designs in Medieval and Early Modern central Sri Lanka.
Download or read book Simas written by Jason A. Carbine and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2022-01-31 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human-fashioned boundaries transform spaces by introducing dualisms, bifurcations, creative symbioses, contradictions, and notions of inclusion and exclusion. The Buddhist boundaries considered in this book, sīmās—a term found in South and Southeast Asian languages and later translated into East Asian languages—come in various shapes and sizes and can be established on land or in bodies of water. Sometimes, the word sīmā refers not only to a ceremonial boundary, but the space enclosed by the boundary, or even the markers (when they are used) that denote the boundary. Sīmās were established early on as places where core legal acts (kamma), including ordination, of the monastic community (sangha) took place according to their disciplinary codes. Sīmās continue to be deployed in the creation of monastic lineages and to function in diverse ways for monastics and non-monastics alike. As foundations of Buddhist religion, sīmās are used to sustain, revitalize, or reform Buddhist practices, notions of identity, and conceptualizations of time and history. In the last few decades, scholarly awareness of and expertise on sīmās has developed to a point where a volume like this one, which examines sīmās across numerous cultural contexts and scholarly fields of inquiry, is both possible and needed. Sīmā traditions expressed in the Theravāda cultures of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka constitute the dominant focus of the work; a chapter on East Asia raises questions of historical transmission beyond these areas. Throughout contributors engage texts; history; archaeology; politics; art; ecology; economics; epigraphy; legal categories; mythic narratives; understandings of the cosmos; and conceptualizations of compassion, authority, and violence. Examining sīmās through multiple perspectives allows us to look at them in their contextual specificity, in a way that allows for discernment of variation as well as consistency. Sīmā spaces can be both simple and extremely intricate, and this book helps show why and how that is the case.
Download or read book A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India written by Upinder Singh and published by Pearson Education India. This book was released on 2008 with total page 708 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Basic Approach Developed as a comprehensive introductory work for scholars and students of ancient and early medieval Indian history, this books provides the most exhaustive overview of the subject. Dividing the vast historical expanse from the stone age to the 12th century into broad chronological units, it constructs profiles of various geographical regions of the subcontinent, weaving together and analysing an unparalleled range of literary and archaeological evidence. Dealing with prehistory and protohistory of the subcontinent in considerable detail, the narrative of the historical period breaks away from conventional text-based history writing. Providing a window into the world primary sources, it incorporates a large volume of archaeological data, along with literary, epigraphic, and numismatic evidence. Revealing the ways in which our past is constructed, it explains fundamental concepts, and illuminates contemporary debates, discoveries, and research. Situating prevailing historical debates in their contexts, Ancient and Early Medieval India presents balanced assessments, encouraging readers to independently evaluate theories, evidence, and arguments. Beautifully illustrated with over four hundred photographs, maps, and figures, Ancient and Early Medieval India helps visualize and understand the extraordinarily rich and varied remains of the ancient past of Indian subcontinent. It offers a scholarly and nuanced yet lucid account of India s early past, and will surely transform the discovery of this past into an exciting experience. Tabel of Contents List of photographs List of maps List of figures About the author Preface Acknowledgements A readers guide 1. Understanding Literary and Archaeological Sources 2. Hunter-Gatherers of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Ages 3. The Transition to Food Production: Neolithic,Neolithic Chalcolithic, and Chalcolithic Villages, c. 7000 2000 bce 4. The Harappan Civilization, c. 2600 1900 bce 5. Cultural Transitions: Images from Texts and Archaeology, c. 2000 600 bce 6. Cities, Kings, and Renunciants: North India, c. 600 300 bce 7. Power and Piety: The Maurya Empire, c. 324 187 bce 8. Interaction and Innovation, c. 200 BCE 300 ce 9. Aesthetics and Empire, c. 300 600 ce 10. Emerging Regional Configurations, c. 600 1200 ce Note on diacritics Glossary Further readings References Index Author Bio Upinder Singh is Professor in the Department of History at the University of Delhi. She taught history at St. Stephen s College, Delhi, from 1981 until 2004, after which she joined the faculty of the Department of History at the University of Delhi. Professor Singh s wide range of research interests and expertise include the analysis of ancient and early medieval inscriptions; social and economic history; religious institutions and patrona≥ history of archaeology; and modern history of ancient monuments. Her research papers have been published in various national and international journals. Her published books include: Kings, Brahmanas, and Temples in Orissa: An Epigraphic Study (AD 300 1147) (1994); Ancient Delhi (1999; 2nd edn., 2006); a book for children, Mysteries of the Past: Archaeological Sites in India (2002); The Discovery of Ancient India: Early Archaeologists and the Beginnings of Archaeology (2004); and Delhi: Ancient History (edited, 2006).
Download or read book Sri Lanka at the Crossroads of History written by Zoltán Biedermann and published by UCL Press. This book was released on 2017-06-07 with total page 357 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The peoples of Sri Lanka have participated in far-flung trading networks, religious formations, and Asian and European empires for millennia. This interdisciplinary volume sets out to draw Sri Lanka into the field of Asian and Global History by showing how the latest wave of scholarship has explored the island as a ‘crossroads’, a place defined by its openness to movement across the Indian Ocean.Experts in the history, archaeology, literature and art of the island from c.500 BCE to c.1850 CE use Lankan material to explore a number of pressing scholarly debates. They address these matters from their varied disciplinary perspectives and diverse array of sources, critically assessing concepts such as ethnicity, cosmopolitanism and localisation, and elucidating the subtle ways in which the foreign may be resisted and embraced at the same time. The individual chapters, and the volume as a whole, are a welcome addition to the history and historiography of Sri Lanka, as well as studies of the Indian Ocean region, kingship, colonialism, imperialism, and early modernity.
Download or read book Buddhist History in the Vernacular written by Stephen C. Berkwitz and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2004 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book on vernacular Buddhist histories written in late medieval Sri Lanka demonstrates that narrative representations of the past were designed to effectively constructing new moral communities in translocal spaces.
