Sela Cetiya
The Sela Cetiya, also known as the Ambastala Dagaba, is a significant stupa located at the Mihintale Royal Rock Temple in Sri Lanka. It is one of five stupas within the temple premises and is considered one of the 16 main places of worship, or Solosmasthana Solosmasthana are 16 sacred places in Sri Lanka, believed by Buddhists to have been hallowed by visits of Gautama Buddha. These places of worship are among the most important religious locations in Sri Lanka, and are located throughout the country. .... The stupa is believed to have been constructed by King Mahadatika Mahanaga on the spot where Mahinda Thero met King Devanampiyatissa. This meeting is of historical significance as it marks the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka. The Sela Cetiya is also associated with the Buddha, who is said to have visited this location on his third visit to Sri Lanka. The stupa was built to enshrine the Buddha's hair relic, known as the Urna Roma, located between the eyebrows. In the 2nd ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mihintale
Mihintale is a mountain peak near Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. It is believed by Sri Lankans to be the site of a meeting between the Buddhist monk Mahinda (buddhist monk), Mahinda and King Devanampiyatissa which inaugurated the presence of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It is now a pilgrimage site, and the site of several religious monuments and abandoned structures. History Approximately east of Anuradhapura, close to the Anuradhapura - Trincomalee Road is situated the "Missaka Pabbata" which is in height and is one of the peaks of a mountainous range. According to Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa, Thera Mahinda (buddhist monk), Mahinda came to Sri Lanka from India on the full moon day of the month of Poson (June) and met King Devanampiyatissa and preached the Buddhist doctrine. The traditional spot where this meeting took place is revered by the Buddhists of Sri Lanka. Therefore, in the month of Poson, Buddhists make their pilgrimage to Anuradhapura and Mihintale. Mahinda was the son of E ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, Indian peninsula by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. It shares a maritime border with the Maldives in the southwest and India in the northwest. Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital of Sri Lanka, while the largest city, Colombo, is the administrative and judicial capital which is the nation's political, financial and cultural centre. Kandy is the second-largest urban area and also the capital of the last native kingdom of Sri Lanka. The most spoken language Sinhala language, Sinhala, is spoken by the majority of the population (approximately 17 million). Tamil language, Tamil is also spoken by approximately five million people, making it the second most-spoken language in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has a population of appr ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Buddhism
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century Before the Common Era, BCE. It is the Major religious groups, world's fourth-largest religion, with about 500 million followers, known as Buddhists, who comprise four percent of the global population. It arose in the eastern Gangetic plain as a movement in the 5th century BCE, and gradually spread throughout much of Asia. Buddhism has subsequently played a major role in Asian culture and spirituality, eventually spreading to Western world, the West in the 20th century. According to tradition, the Buddha instructed his followers in a path of bhavana, development which leads to Enlightenment in Buddhism, awakening and moksha, full liberation from ''Duḥkha, dukkha'' (). He regarded this path as a Middle Way between extremes su ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Anuradhapura District
Anuradhapura ( ''anūrādhapūra distrikkaya''; ''Aṉurātapuram māvaṭṭam'') is a district in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 7,179 km². Major cities * Anuradhapura (Municipal Council) Other towns * Bulnewa * Eppawala * Galenbindunuwewa * Galnewa * Ganewalpola * Habarana * Horowupotana * Kahatagasdigiliya * Kebitigollawa * Kekirawa * Konapathirawa * Konwewa * Madatugama * Mahailuppallama * Maradankadawala * Medawachchiya * Mihintale * Nochchiyagama * Nachchaduwa * Padawiya * Palugaswewa * Rambewa * Seeppukulama * Talawa * Tambuttegama * Thirappane * Yakalla Anuradhapura district election divisions * Anuradhapura East Electoral District * Anuradhapura West Electoral District * Horowpothana Electoral District * Kalawewa Electoral District * Kekirawa Electoral District * Medawachchiya Electoral District * Mihintale Electoral District Demographics The population according to the 2001 census is 745,693, of whom 90.7% were Sinhalese, 8.3% ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Stupa
In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and meditation. Walking around a stupa in a clockwise direction, known as '' pradakhshina'', has been an important ritual and devotional practice in Buddhism 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 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mahadathika Mahanaga Of Anuradhapura
Mahadathika Mahanaga was King of Anuradhapura in the 1st century CE. His reign lasted from 9 CE to 21 CE. He succeeded his brother, Bhatikabhaya Abhaya as King of Anuradhapura and was succeeded by his son, Amandagamani Abhaya. See also * List of Sri Lankan monarchs * History of Sri Lanka The history of Sri Lanka covers Sri Lanka and the history of the Indian subcontinent and its surrounding regions of South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. Prehistoric Sri Lanka goes back 125,000 years and possibly even as far back a ... References External links Kings & Rulers of Sri LankaCodrington's Short History of Ceylon Monarchs of Anuradhapura Sinhalese kings House of Vijaya 1st-century Sinhalese monarchs {{SriLanka-hist-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Solosmasthana
Solosmasthana are 16 sacred places in Sri Lanka, believed by Buddhists to have been hallowed by visits of Gautama Buddha. These places of worship are among the most important religious locations in Sri Lanka, and are located throughout the country. Ancient Buddhist and historical sources of Sri Lanka assert that the Buddha visited the country on three occasions. These three visits are given in some detail in the ancient chronicle Mahavamsa, which describes his journeys to eleven of the Solosmasthana. Other sources such as the Pujavaliya, Samantapasadika and Butsarana also mention these visits. History The first visit was made to Temple of Mahiyangana, Mahiyangana in the ninth month after the Buddha attained Bodhi, enlightenment. The Mahavamsa says that he conquered the yakshas there and sent them to an island named Giri, thereby setting the background for the establishment of Buddhism in the country later on, where the Buddha knew that the Dharma (Buddhism), Dhamma would prevail "in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Buddhist Temples In Anuradhapura
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth-largest religion, with about 500 million followers, known as Buddhists, who comprise four percent of the global population. It arose in the eastern Gangetic plain as a movement in the 5th century BCE, and gradually spread throughout much of Asia. Buddhism has subsequently played a major role in Asian culture and spirituality, eventually spreading to the West in the 20th century. According to tradition, the Buddha instructed his followers in a path of development which leads to awakening and full liberation from '' dukkha'' (). He regarded this path as a Middle Way between extremes such as asceticism or sensual indulgence. Teaching that ''dukkha'' arises alongside attachment or clinging, the Buddha advised meditation practices and e ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |