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Sirimeghavanna Of Anuradhapura
Sirimeghavanna, also known as Kirthi Sri Meghavarnabhaya and Kithsiri Mevan was King of Anuradhapura in the 4th century. According to the traditional chronology, he ruled during 304–332 CE; the modified chronology adopted by modern scholars such as Wilhelm Geiger assigns his reign to 352–379 CE. He succeeded his father Mahasena as King of Anuradhapura and was succeeded by his brother Jettha Tissa II. After the death of King Mahasen, his son Siri Meghavanna came to power. He gathered Mahavihara bhikkus and asked them how he could rectify the damage caused by his father. Mahavihara bhikkus stated that Mahavihara and magnificent Lowa Maha Paaya were destroyed during his father's time. King Siri Meghavanna restored Mahavihara and Lowa Maha Paaya. He made a statue of Mahinda Thera and placed it in Mihintale. Thonigala Rock Inscriptions (303AD-331AD) were also done during his reign. Importance The sacred relic of the tooth of the Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka during the re ...
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Mahasena Of Anuradhapura
Mahasena, also known in some records as Mahasen, was a king of Sri Lanka who ruled the country from 277 to 304 CE. He started the construction of large tanks or reservoirs in Sri Lanka, and built sixteen such tanks. After becoming king, Mahasena discriminated the Buddhists belonging to the Theravada-school and destroyed several of their temples including the Mahavihara (the main Theravada temple) before his chief minister led him to realise his mistakes. He mended his ways and built the Jethavana stupa. Mahasena's countrymen regarded him as a god or deity (deva) after the construction of the Minneriya tank, he became known as ''Minneri Deviyo'' (God of Minneriya). Discrimination against Theravada Buddhism Mahasena was the younger son of King Gotabaya, who ruled the country from 253 to 266 CE. His elder brother and predecessor to the throne was King Jetthatissa, who was the king from 266 to 275. Mahasen and Jetthatissa were educated by a Buddhist monk named Sanghamitta, who was ...
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Relic Of The Tooth Of The Buddha
The relic of the tooth of Buddha (Pali ''danta dhātuya'') is venerated in Sri Lanka as a sacred cetiya relic of the Buddha and primarily refers to the purported tooth at the Temple of the Tooth, but can also refer to the one believed to be at Somawathiya Chaitya. History According to the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta, after the Buddha's passing and cremation, four teeth are explicitly noted to be in existence. Two of the relics are noted to be in mythological locations ( Trāyastriṃśa and in the realm of the Nagaraja), while the other two are in earthly locations ( Gandhāra and Kaliṅga). Out of these, the Nagaraja and the Kaliṅga tooth are purported to be extant. In April 2025, the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy held a public exposition of a tooth relic that drew approximately 450,000 visitors in a single day. Overcrowding led to 4 deaths and over 300 hospitalizations, mostly from heat-related illnesses. Kaliṅga tooth According to the Mahāvaṃsa and the Dāṭh ...
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Monarchs Of Anuradhapura
The monarchs of Sri Lanka, also referred to as the Sinhalese monarchy, were the heads of state and rulers of the Sinhala Kingdoms located in present-day Sri Lanka, from 543 BCE (according to chronicles) until its abolition in 1815 CE. The Sinhalese monarchy began with the settlement of North Indian Indo-Aryan speaking immigrants to the island of Sri Lanka. The Landing of Vijaya (as described in the traditional early chronicles of the island, the Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa) recounts the date of the establishment of the first Sinhalese Kingdom in 543 BCE when Indian prince Prince Vijaya (543–505 BCE) and 700 of his followers arrived in Sri Lanka, establishing the Kingdom of Tambapanni.Mittal (2006) p 405 In Sinhalese mythology, Prince Vijaya and followers are told to be the progenitors of the Sinhalese people. However, according to the story in the Divyavadana, the immigrants were probably not led by a scion of a royal house in India, as told in the romantic legend, but rather ma ...
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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 as 500,000 years. The Balangoda Man, earliest humans found in geography of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka date to Prehistory of Sri Lanka, Prehistoric times about 35,000 years ago. Little is known about the history before the Indo-Aryan Settlement in Sri Lanka, Indo-Aryan Settlement in the 6th century BC. The earliest documents of the settlement on the Island and its early history are found in the national chronicles of the Mahavamsa, Mahāvamsa, Dipavamsa, and the Culavamsa. According to the Mahāvamsa, a chronicle written in Pali, Pāḷi, the preceding inhabitants of Sri Lanka were said to be Yaksha, Yakkhas and Naga people (Lanka), Nagas. Sinhalese people, Sinhalese history traditionally starts in 543 BC with the arrival of Prince Vijaya, a semi- ...
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List Of Sinhalese Monarchs
The monarchs of Sri Lanka, also referred to as the Sinhalese monarchy, were the heads of state and rulers of the Sinhala Kingdoms located in present-day Sri Lanka, from 543 BCE (according to chronicles) until its abolition in 1815 CE. The Sinhalese monarchy began with the settlement of North Indian Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan speaking immigrants to the island of Sri Lanka. The Landing of Vijaya (as described in the traditional early chronicles of the island, the Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa) recounts the date of the establishment of the first Sinhalese Kingdom in 543 BCE when Indian prince Prince Vijaya (543–505 BCE) and 700 of his followers arrived in Sri Lanka, establishing the Kingdom of Tambapanni.Mittal (2006) p 405 In Sinhalese mythology, Prince Vijaya and followers are told to be the progenitors of the Sinhalese people. However, according to the story in the Divyavadana, the immigrants were probably not led by a scion of a royal house in India, as told in the romantic lege ...
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Siri Daladagamanaya
''Siri Daladagamanaya'' () is a 2014 Sri Lankan Sinhalese epic historical film directed by Sanath Abeysekara and produced by Soma Edirisinghe for EAP Films. Starring Prasadi Samarakone and Heshan Manula, the film is also played by Jeevan Kumaratunga, Geetha Kumarasinghe, Dilhani Ekanayake, Sriyantha Mendis and Wasantha Dukgannarala. Music composed by Ranga Dassanayake. Film screened in 50 EAP theatres island wide. It is the 1203rd Sri Lankan film in the Sinhalese cinema. The film revolves around the early chronicles after death of Buddha, where the sacred tooth relic transferred to Sri Lanka from India by Prince Dantha and Princess Hemamala. Plot The story begins with the Maha Parinirvana of Buddha, his body was cremated in a sandalwood pyre at Kusinara in India and his remains were retrieved by many regional kings and arahats. Buddha's left canine tooth was retrieved by Arahat Kshema and he gave it to King Brahmadatta. The tooth became a royal possession in his dynasty a ...
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Isurumuniya
Isurumuniya is a Buddhist temple situated near to the Tissa Wewa (Anuradhapura), Tissa Wewa (Tisa tank) in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. There are four carvings of special interest in this Vihara. They are the Isurumuniya Lovers, Elephant Pond and The Royal Family. History The ancient Meghagiri Vihara or Meygiri Vihara is presently identified as the Isurumuni Vihara. It was built by King Devanampiya Tissa (307 BC to 267 BC) who ruled in the ancient Sri Lankan capital of Anuradhapura. After 500 children of high-caste were ordained, Isurumuniya was built for them to reside. King Kasyapa I (473-491 AD) again renovated this viharaya and named it as "Boupulvan, Kasubgiri Radmaha Vehera" giving the names of his 2 daughters and his name. There is a viharaya connected to a cave and above is a cliff. A small stupa is built on it. It can be seen that the constructional work of this stupa belongs to the present period. Lower down on both sides of a cleft, in a rock that appears to rise out of a p ...
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Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya
The Anuradhapura Maha Viharaya was an important mahavihara or large Buddhist monastery for Theravada Buddhism in Sri Lanka. King Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura (247–207 BCE) founded it in his capital city of Anuradhapura. Monks such as Buddhaghosa (4th to 5th century CE) and Dhammapala, who wrote commentaries on the Tipitaka and texts such as the Visuddhimagga, which are central to Theravada Buddhist doctrine, established Theravada Mahaviharan of the Tambapaṇṇiya (Pali; Sanskrit: ''Tāmraparṇīya'' or ''Tāmraśāṭīya'') orthodoxy here. Monks living at the Mahavihara were referred to as Mahaviharavasins. In the 5th century, the "Mahavihara" was possibly the most sophisticated university in southern or eastern Asia. Many international scholars visited and learned many disciplines under highly structured instruction. Theravada monastic groups Early history Three subdivisions of Buddhism existed in Sri Lanka during much of Buddhism's early history there: Mahāvih ...
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Jettha Tissa II Of Anuradhapura
Jettha Tissa II also known as Detutis II, was King of Anuradhapura in the 4th century, whose reign lasted 9 years from 332 to 341. He succeeded his brother Sirimeghavanna as King of Anuradhapura and was succeeded by his son Buddhadasa. 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 Lambakanna I 4th-century Sinhalese monarchs {{SriLanka-hist-stub ...
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Wilhelm Geiger
Wilhelm Ludwig Geiger (; ; 21 July 1856 – 2 September 1943) was a German Orientalist in the fields of Indo-Iranian languages and the history of Iran and Sri Lanka. He was known as a specialist in Pali, Sinhala language and the Dhivehi language of the Maldives. He is especially known for his work on the Sri Lankan chronicles Mahāvaṃsa and Cūlavaṃsa and made critical editions of the Pali text and English translations with the help of assistant translators. Life He was born in Nuremberg, the son of an evangelical clergyman, and was educated especially at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg under the scholar Friedrich von Spiegel. During his studies, he joined the fraternity Uttenruthia. After completing his Ph.D. thesis in 1878, he became a lecturer on ancient Iranian and Indian philology and then a master at a gymnasium. In 1891 he was offered a chair in Indo-European Comparative Philology at the University of Erlangen, succeeding Spiegel. His first published works w ...
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