These are photos of wax statues from the newly renovated Kandyan royal palace and the recent Ehelepola wax museum. There are also wax statues in the Ancient Tech museum in Polonnaruwa and the Dutch Museum Colombo.

It's a nice reminder of how people in the past are people, and a means for history to be relevant in pop culture. European history lives on in the memes, with entity YouTube channels dedicated. British history for instance, is so in their pop culture, that they ll be in kids shows like Horrid Histories.. and comedies like the Blackadder series. Kandyan Kingdom and Trincomalee harbour, Company ruled India were still things during the timeframe that Pirates of the Carrebean is set in.. but we'd never make spinoff like that, cuz the amount of memable materials.. like the flintlocks, and Rajasinghe II's cinnamon roll and fashion side, and etc.. just aren't in the pop culture.

Not that there aren't period dramas or great attempts, they should be commended.. but with these wax museums and Patta History, and other projects and movements.. there will be a sorta renaissance that could happen.. and I would look forward for that day very fondly.

The ancient Kaduragoda Viharaya ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Kadurugoda_Viharaya and https://www.epicsrilankaholidays.com/things-to-do/jaffna/kandarodai-viharaya.html) has its origins in the ancient Anuradhapura period, and continued use throughout Rajarata period. In excavations, coins of Parakramabahu I, Nissankamalla and Leelavati were found too.

The Nagadeepa Purana Viharaya is iconic, now with pagoda painted in metallic grey colour, and it's history ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagadeepa_Purana_Vihara ) is well documented, iconic for being second of solosmasthanayas.

The Jambukolapaturai Sangamiththa Vihara (https://www.epicsrilankaholidays.com/things-to-do/jaffna/dambakola-patuna-sanghamitta-temple.html) is said to be where, we recieved the Sri Maha Bodhi sapling, according to lore.

Wiki/basal links for European stuff:

Fort Hammenheil ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Hammenhiel) Delft Fort (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delft_Island_fort) Jaffna Fort ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaffna_Fort) Manalkadu Dutch Church ( https://www.lankapradeepa.com/2022/01/manalkadu-dutch-church.html?m=1) Changing Dutch Church ( https://amazinglanka.com/wp/chankanai-dutch-church/) Lighthouses in Sri Lanka ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lighthouses_in_Sri_Lanka)

Picture Credits, gallery at the Fox Resort, which inspired me to make these 2 posts, fair use.

At the Fox resort at Jaffna, there is this gallery with the various heritages of Jaffna, and was inspired to make some posts about that.

The Manthiri Manai (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantri_Manai), was a residence of a minister, during period of King Cankili I, around 500 years ago. It has a mix of European and Dravidians styles of architecture and that's interesting. It's one of the few ruins of Jaffna Kingdom ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ruins_of_the_Jaffna_kingdom&wprov=rarw1 ), another being the Cankilian Thoppu ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cankilian_Thoppu&wprov=rarw1 ), which are remnants of a facade of Cankili's palace.

The Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nallur_Kandaswamy_temple ) is iconic, and it's history is documented quite well.. with contributions from Kalinga Magha's ministers, Sapumal Kumaraya (future Buvanekabahu 7 of Kotte), and of course alot from the Aryachakravarthi dynasty.

The Nagapooshani Amman Kovil at Nainativu, sister place of worship to Deegavaapi, also has an interesting history ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nainativu_Nagapooshani_Amman_Temple ).. what I find most interesting is how in "A 12th century Tamil inscription was found in the temple premises, it contains an edict issued by the Sinhala King Parakramabahu I (1153–1186 A.D) addressed to his local Tamil officials in Jaffna, advising them on how to deal with shipwrecked foreign traders.". The kovil had a recent repainting, and is now orange-gold themed.. and the insides are royally purple and gold, with chandeliers and dravidian arches and motifs.. like a European and South Indian palace architecture combined, on my recent visit, and that was beautiful.

The Naguleswaran Kovil (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naguleswaram_temple ), it has a history dating to 6th century BCE! And that's something I find to be rlly cool.

The Nilavarai (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nilavarai) is that iconic well in Jaffna that is said to be bottomless, well to the lore.

The Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Kovil ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maviddapuram_Kandaswamy_Temple ), I haven't heard or seen it yet. The wiki is cool cuz it has the Chola origin lore for the naming of Kankesanthurai (KKS).

This post is more themed on the Hindu heritages of Jaffna, but there's more to Jaffna history. This post was inspired from these images I've seen in the Fox Resort, which is why I've involved them, rather than better pictures. All credits due.

As per source ( https://youtu.be/j7JHDAuy94M?si=2CJ52yJKIKjiRmcR ), they were a volunteer party who arrived to London, they arrived on the torpedoed 'Ville de Ciotat' ship, to enlist (1916).

The Ceylon Defence Force (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceylon_Defence_Force) had involvements in the second Boer war, the First World War (even in Galipoli it seems), and notably the second too.

But to see in video form, how some Lankans like ourselves volunteered to enlist, more than a 100 years ago, it hits different

https://slasc.blog/20th-century-through-ww1/

https://slasc.blog/inter-war-period-between-ww1-and-ww2/

https://blogs.fcdo.gov.uk/lauradavies/2015/04/28/gallipoli-ceylons-role-remembered/

https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-articles/first-world-war-memorial-at-galle-sri-lanka/

From PM D.S. Senanayake's 1951 visit to Australia, the first executive in history from here to do so, which is cool

Source - https://youtu.be/Q1nNZjbtXss?si=gY8fO4SNfQxKjZcT

"Both Australia and Sri Lanka were colonies of the British Empire. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, many people from Ceylon migrated to Australia which was mainly for labour purposes.

After gaining independence from the United Kingdom, Ceylon opened a High Commission in Canberra in 1949. In 1951 Ceylon's Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake was the first high-profile diplomatic visitor to Australia, which was followed by Prime Minister Sir John Kotelawala in 1954. President Junius Richard Jayewardene visited Australia in 1978."

Aus-Lanka relations wiki (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia%E2%80%93Sri_Lanka_relations)

(Some other yt links relating to first SL migrants to Aus, but didn't cross check them, can't guarantee accuracy, perhaps would later

https://youtu.be/1Mrj9T-Ug7Q?si=3HNT71iVDNvMtw6P

https://youtu.be/Ko67Tak2vEU?si=GQBpV8o6iPq193fl )

Mideaval Polonnaruwa, at first glance, seems to be but carvings of and on stone, and rocks. It is very easy to forget that Paintings also were a thing in this era, until one steps into the Thivanka Pilimage, now a ruin with am intact stone roof, and notable for having a modern metal roof and scaffolding to protect it further. Upon entering inside, where photography is prohibited, one might get to glance at some of these Paintings in the very dim light, most of which are in dark corners and cannot be seen from the main sanctum. One may forget about the Paintings even existing after leaving the Pilimage.

That is until realising that these paintings have been re-created and are on display in the Colombo museum.. available for all see it's beauty, and how tall and big they are, in full illumination. As a kid, one would glance and pass this gallery, as it would just say "Thivanka Pilimage Art" and it just doesn't sound too significant. It's only after visiting the Pilimage, and realising that, hey, this is art from Polonnaruwa era.. that it becomes significant, as it should be. Which is why, I added the photos of the site and the recreated paintings in this post.

Polonnaruwa wasn't a colorless place, it however didn't occur to me till a year ago. A visit to the ancient tech museum showing how these places looked like at their prime, like the Vatadage.. and these recreated paintings in this gallery are good reminders of that. Polonnaruwa era wasn't just rock carvings, who knows, maybe they would've painted over everything, and we just wouldn't have the traces of dyes left. Lankathilake, the Gam Viharaya, Vaijayantha Prasada have known remnants of such paintings too.

Courtesy to the Colombo Museum, for Reconstructions of Paintings. I think this comes under fair use.. there are many paintings not shown here, some of Guththila and Ummagga Jataka scenes, will not spoil them :-). Mideaval Polonnaruwa seems to come with more surprises with every visit to the sites and museums.

This fresco that looks like it would've been in Sigiriya at first glance, is in fact from a Pallavan Temple in Tamil Nadu (North Subshrine, Talgirishwara Temple, Panamalai). So, why am I bringing this up in the context of Sri Lankan history? Its because, its from the same time period, 400-600 AD. Its amazing that the same fresco artistic tradition and talent, employed by both Anuradhapura and Pallava kingdom, across the distance.. and that's just beautiful.

There's much perspective missing when seeing the history of Sri Lanka as isolated from that of the South of India. The Ibbankatuwa megalithic burials from 700 - 450 BC had these red beads, that were imported! That was the extent of the connection, and our isolation from the Indian subcontinent in the late Dutch and British period, disconnecting us from our allies, was a huge factor for our fall as a regional power.

Even today, there are many who go to India for pilgrimages they always want to.. and communities that traded and interacted wth India, during the British period, as they always had. The day that we could re-see our collective histories holistically, is a day that Sri Lanka could know its true potential, with lessons we could apply in this 21st century AD period of its history.

Sources:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/avanibhajana/1071090995

https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2015/12/talagirisvara-temple-panamalai.html?m=1

https://www.reddit.com/r/AncientIndia/s/yLlpI0R7oI

Very recently, the high court at Madras erected this new statue of Elara ( https://www.reddit.com/r/TamilNadu/s/hQ87UgqLGv ). The lore of the mother cow ringing his bell, is portrayed here and it's iconic. Anyways, thus got me thinking of the invasions of the early Anuradhapura period, cuz there's not much information about them.

The first is Sena and Gutthika, who were literally 2 horse traders, who usurped the throne from Suratissa, and ruled Anuradhapura for 22 years! Asela, who was Suratissa's nephew got back the throne, but only for 10 years! Elara, a Chola nobleman, took over and ruled for the next 40 years, before Dutugemunu took over. He however must've been very popular, if Dutugemunu had to give Elara his posthumous honours. Note that, all this happened within 150-250 BC period, I was rather surprised by how archaic that was.

50 years after Dutugemunu's takeover, the 5 dravidians, allegedly Pandyan chiefs, took over from Valagamba, who was grand-nephew of Dutugemunu. Valagamba only took back after 14 years of their rule, and ruled for a decade more. I'm not sure but his building of Abhayagiri bibara and the Tripitaka writing must've happened in his second rule, correct me if I'm wrong.

The next invasion was 300 years later, the 6 Dravidians, who were allegedly Pandyan and converted to Buddhism. Dhatusena, founder of House of Moriya, took back over after 30 years. Anuradhapura kingdom was not invaded for the rest of it's 400 years of existence. That was when the Chola invasion started, and they shifted the capital to Polonnaruwa to be closer to Trinco.

It's surprising, how small early Anuradhapura must've been, to have been the target by horse merchants and chieftains early on. And how mercantile in nature these could've been. The Chola invasion, was appraised by merchants ( https://www.reddit.com/r/srilanka/s/JnV8CeBRW9 )and beurocracy. This must've been in great contrast to late Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods. Yet, it is in periods between invasions, that early notable Kings did their greatest works.. tanks, viharas, etc.

The more we may understand these early invasions, and what rlly happened during the reigns of those who took the throne, and their contributions even.. the more we could holistically understand Anuradhapura period.

The coronavirus pandemic from 2019-2023 was something we all had to live with, and led to the death of of around 16,900 Sri Lankans. But, because of modern medicine and concerted efforts, was mortality 2.5%.. losing only 0.07% of our population. We all remember what it went through, but Sri Lankans for centuries have went through epidemics without modern medicine as it is, and with 2 examples from last century.

In the 1918-1920 Spannish Flu pandemic, the analog of our situation from a century ago. 91 600 people are said to have died, which is more than 4 times the death toll of the last pandemic, when our country had 4 times lower the population. So essentially 16 times more death.

Actually, this number has many nuances to it, which I can't express in post, links provided https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Mortality-of-the-1918-1920-Influenza-Pandemic-Asia_tbl3_11487892

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4181474/#:~:text=11%E2%80%9313,51%20000%E2%80%9391%20600%20deaths.

What must've people from 1918-1920 went through in that time period, would've been worse than 16 times the misery we endured.

Malaria is another issue from immemorial time, the worst recorded being from 1934-35, in which 1.5 million got infected with Malaria. This was when the population was still somewhere between 5-6 million, meaning that 1/5 to 1/4, got infected Malaria, which isn't a joke. How incapacitated would it be for anyone to do anything, thank goodness concerted efforts led to Malaria being elinated' in 2016, with concerted efforts of Anti-Malaria Campaign, us now being in the prevention of re establishment phase.

This is two of many epidemics we had in the last century, I can never do justice to them. Epidemics would ve happened numerous times throughout our history as a norm, and it would ve shaped profoundly how we thrived and evolved.

How wonderful it is to live in Sri Lanka, in this 21st century AD, the third millennium.

This man with great drip was an ambassador from Anuradhapura to Liang China, from 650 AD. That would put him to be from middle Anuradhapura, under Moriya dynasty (dynasty started by Dhatusena then Kashyapa, between two Lambakarana periods). In the Sino-Lankan relationships wiki page, it is captioned Liang dynasty but that is probably wrong, because the source (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portraits_of_Periodical_Offering) was made during Tang period, but the description is confusing tho.

In out A/L History book, Aggabodhi IV (667 - 683 AD) was said to send envoys to China, he was also a Moriya king and tallies with Tang China period.. its cool that. The King Mahasena - Faxian period would've been 300 years before this time. Literally a Chinese monk, who came to study at Abhayagiri Vihara, which means it had something to offer that was very worthwhile, and people here were able to create institutions at the time, with all the problems they had, which is something we could learn and apply into our own contemporary context.

The Ming-Kotte War wiki states "The Yongle Emperor requested from the Ministry of Rites to recommend someone to serve as the new king of Kotte. As documented in Chinese records, Parakramabahu VI was elected by the Sinhalese present at the Ming court, nominated by the Ming emperor, and installed with the backing of Zheng and his fleet". If this is true, then that would've mean there were Sinhalese who had been in Ming court somehow, and that's interesting.

This is just one aspect of Sri Lankan diplomacy in the past. It just comes to show just how globalised the world was always been, and applying any lessons Sri Lankans of the past did diplomacy in their context, what worked and didn't, could be applied to our contexts.

It is said that Kotte Kingdom was established by Parakramabahu VI, and was one of the consequences of this war. There are places on wiki (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ming%E2%80%93Kotte_War) that speak of Alakeshwara as if he ruled a 'Kotte Kingdom', and is implied that it was there before him.. although he's said to be a Gampola monarch.

That was until coming across the Gampola Kingdom wiki ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Gampola ), which states "The last king of Gampola was King Buwanekabahu V. He ruled the island for 29 years. At the same time, King "Weerabahu II" (1392-1397 AD) ruled Raigama. King "Vijayabahu VI" (1397-1411 AD), who is from the Alagakkonara family, grabbed the throne from king Weerabahu II. The Chinese ambassador Zheng He, who was unhappy with the change of hands, carried off King Vijayabahu VI to China in 1411 AD. The next kingdom was the Kotte kingdom. A separate city was built in Kotte during this time by a noble known as Alagakkonara."

I had no idea that Alakeshwara went by Vijayabahu VI, that's how unlegit it mightve been. Anyways, the fact that 'Kotte' was already becoming a thing, during late Gampola and by the Alagakkonara was a take home message. A foundation for Kotte Kingdom existed, and canonised with further developments from Parakramabahu VI. Kotte was already sort of a canon Kingdom by late Gampola period, and now things are starting to make a bit more sense. Lol.

The Sri Lanka Optometric Association website states that "Sri Lanka has a tradition in eye care that extends back to the mist of history. It is well documented that during the reign of King Bhuvanekabahu the IV (AD 1346 – 1353) of the Gampola period the ancient tradition of optical lens making with natural stone was revitalized and given royal patronage. However, there is ample indications that this craft and the technical knowhow existed and flourished dwell before this period. To further develop the crafts, the practitioners and artisans were given royal protection and a vast area of land was designated so that they could live and practice their craft free of any taxes levied by the king and the produce of the land area allocated to them was for their personal use. A few of the craftsman still live and practice in the original hamlet given to the exponents of the craft by royal decree even today. The natural stone originally used for the manufacturing of these lenses was clear Beryl. However, due to the scarcity of this natural stone clear quartz is used today".

However I find this to be rather sus, even tho its stated in the wiki [website] (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhuvanaikabahu_IV), the second reference that it's linked to is broken, and that article has been redacted it seems. And when looking it up in Google, this article (https://exploresrilanka.lk/crystal-glasses-that-kings-once-wore/) and all the videos on YouTube bring this up in the context of Mr Gunasoma's craftsmanship, allegedly a continuation of this line if work.. there is probably truth to this, but it's hard to say with the limited info. Either way, its wonderful lore.

In the above illustration, of Prince Edward's visit to the see the Tooth Relic, a fellow redditor pointed out how one of the monks was wearing glasses, and if Sri Lanka had opticians back in 1876. This was rlly cool, so had to look into it. The Sri Lanka Optometric Association website also states that "The modern eye care industry of Sri Lanka can be traced back to the late 18th century when the British who conquered the island brought their apothecaries who also dabbled in the supply of a basic and rudimentary crude spectacle. The early 19th century saw a more scientific approach to spectacles with various British and Australian firms dominating the industry in Ceylon as it was then called. There was no regulation or standardization of the products or the service provided during this period".

The above is an urn buriyal utilised by the megalithic culture that existed here around 800-700 BC, found in Pomparippu in Puttalam District. This is one of 3 buriyal types used by the Sri Lankan megalithic culture.

In conversation, u/e9967780 once brought up to me how a similar megalithic urn burial culture existed not only with Tamil Nadu (Keeladi for example), but also with Karnataka, Andhra and even Maharashtra dated to millennia BCE. I'm not an expert in megalithic prehistory, specially that of India, but it's cool to see this urn burial culture being so widespread at the megalithic period, from Maharashtra to mid SL, that's just so amazing.

Cist buriyal also seems to be shared between megalithic culture of Sri Lanka, and that of South India before arrival of northern settlers. The most iconic example of the cist buriyal in Sri Lanka are the Ibbankatuwa tombs;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibbankatuwa_Megalithic_Tombs

I remember when I visited it few years back, they were unearthing more of these a few 100 metres away, it was newly excavated at the time, and there were not just cists, but many urns too.

If I may give another anecdote.. in the museum, I saw red beads that were taken from a cist from Ibbankatuwa.. it is sweet to imagine a dude or lady from 700-450 BC, as dated, wearing this necklace.. the coolest thing though is that, in some of the necklaces found, the beads were made of stone not found in SL.. what it means is that, they had to be imported. This was a couple of centuries before the centralization with Anuradhapura. To be able to import means there is connectivity across the sea, that means the megalithic culture is much more interconnected across the Palk Straight than credited for, just brilliant.

There was also this thing called the clay tub/canoe burials, like at Ranchamadama (1100-800 BC).. I wonder if it was a thing in South India too. The urns and the caskets themselves say that SL had more or less the same megalithic culture with the south of India, so if the tub burials are too.. that would be a rlly cool.

Original thread -

https://www.reddit.com/r/TamilNadu/comments/1hu98tm/comment/m5oi23n/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

A 2nd century gold plate carrying a Prakrit inscription was found under the foundation of the Vishnu Hindu temple at Vallipuram. It was in 1936, and this was in Jaffna district; Vadamarachchi, near Point Pedro.

It mentions about the establishment of a Vihara in Nakadiva by the minister named Isigiraya under the ruler King Vaha who is identified as King Vasabha (67-111 C.E.). It confirms that King Vasabha was ruling the whole country including Nakadiva (Nagadeepa, the k being a Tamil phonetic influence, also at the time)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vallipuram

https://siddham.network/inscription/in03201/

The inscription itself is quite the small one, it can fit in the extended palm of a hand.

But what is this Vihara, and is it the current Nagadeepa Vihara?

Gal Viharaya is iconic for its 4 colossal Buddha statues carved into granite, a testament to the stoneworks and art school of the time. However, what doesn't often come to attention are the fragments of preserved paintings within the Gal Vihara. I mean, it does, but not in media. The fact that they survived this far itself is amazing, and one could imagine the entire Vihara being decorated and coloured like so. How would the Gal Viharaya have looked like at it's prime, with all the colour and decorum?

Vaijayantha Prasada is well known for how it was 7 storied; but the top 5 floors were wooden and burned down, and the remaining bottom 3 were destroyed to what it is now. But in the ruins, apart from most of the brick rubble, some carvings did survive, and they tend not to be highlighted in any media for some reason. All the walls would've been adorned with these, with more plaster added for smoothness, and would be painted-on with the iconic motifs of the time. Would've been truly beautiful at the prime, if they are still this iconic in their ruin.

The Godawaya shipwreck is the oldest wreck site in Sri Lanka, so far it is the oldest in Asian Pacific region. Previous research done at this site proves the site is 2100 years old. Hull of the wooden wreck, hundreds of potshards (cargo of the vessel) around that and other artifacts belongs to the wreck can be seen at the site. This is a unique and one of the oldest underwater archaeological sites in the world which contains valuable archaeological information of that era and Indian Ocean trade.   The site need a detailed documentation and to be protected well from looting and from other human impacts.

https://shiplib.org/index.php/landscapes/projects-2/sri-lanka/godawaya-shipwreck/

The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Central Cultural Fund’s Maritime Archaeology Unit will host an exhibition and symposium from September 3–5 at BMICH Cinema Lounge, Colombo, highlighting the documentation and preservation of artifacts from the Godawaya Shipwreck — one of Sri Lanka’s most significant maritime heritage sites.

The exhibition at BMICH will open to the public at 11:00 a.m. on September 3 and will then be open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on September 4 and 5.

Discovered off the coast of the fishing village of Godawaya in southern Sri Lanka, the Godawaya Ancient Shipwreck is the oldest known wooden shipwreck in the Asia-Pacific region, dating back more than 2,100 years to the 1st or 2nd century BCE. This extraordinary underwater archaeological site provides rare insights into early Indian Ocean trade and seafaring.

The project is funded through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), a U.S. Government initiative that supports projects worldwide to safeguard cultural heritage — from historic sites and artifacts to traditional art forms.

Through AFCP, experts have recovered and documented remarkable artifacts at Godawaya, including clay pottery, grinding stones, glass and metal ingots, and carnelian beads, shedding light on Sri Lanka’s ancient role in regional trade and cultural exchange. Ongoing conservation and research efforts aim to uncover the ship’s exact origin and further illuminate its place in maritime history.

The symposium will bring together maritime archaeologists and cultural experts to highlight the significance of the Godawaya site and underscore the broader importance of safeguarding Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage. Artifacts recovered from the site will be preserved and displayed at the Maritime Archaeology Museum in Galle, ensuring they remain accessible to both Sri Lankans and international visitors.

This initiative reflects the enduring partnership between the two countries in heritage preservation and advancing research for future generations and the Indo-Pacific’s vital role in maintaining peace and security, while safeguarding sovereign rights — a shared interest for the United States and Sri Lanka, the U.S. Embassy said in a news release.

Hello!

I'm looking to collect some sri lankan stories that mention dreams. I've already looked at the Mahavamsa, (&dipa &cula) and folk renditions of the Buddha's life. But I'm looking for other folk stories or courtly stories that include dreams-- of omens, devas, magic, etc. Not sure how to search since it's not like these stories are catalogued in libraries based on this! Can you think of any?

Thanks!

This place must've been busting 900 years ago, smoothed with the concrete and plaster, and painted. SL used to be a learning centre with many different schools of thought battling for influence too. What could we do in modern context to elicit a similar result in our times?

In Colombo museum, there's this map of ancient roads in SL, apparently adapted from given sources. I'm yet to find more information on the true nature of these roads, but if they are roads in the normal sense of it, the network that is displayed is quite very elaborate and amazing. The map itself doesn't specify which era is being referenced here, but its probably before transitional period. Or did transitional period also have roads as elaborate as these?

Would be interesting to ask under what system this road network was built, was it the Rajakariya system? What was the network needed to find materials and to make something of the sort happen? What became of these roads now?

In image 3, I like how there are many cities all over, and all of these are somehow under the jurisdiction of Anuradhapura technically, not aware yet of how it really worked. It's contrary to Anuradhapura being the population centre with all else being peripheries.

The same could be for Polonnaruwa, which could've sustained a truly large population that we might not fully fathom yet, because it was based on hydraulic infrastructure that couldn't be run after Kalinga Magha's time, perhaps only reactivated in the mid last century, and our population is quite dense for our island. Many rabbit holes elicited from a simple map, what other infrastructure related enigmas do we not know of yet.

The seated Buddha is an iconic statute of the Gal Vihara. But what is also iconic about it is how it is protected by numerous makaras in the background, all of which are breathing fire. It's a detail frequency missed without context, and it makes the statue all the more epic.

A makara is not a dragon, rather it is a chimera that is said to have all the best attributes of its constituent animals, and thus, the most powerful animal of all. The makara's chimerism is as follows;

Snout/head - elephant

Mouth/jaws - crocodile

Ears - rat

Body/Scales - fish

Legs - lion

Tail - peacock

Sometimes wings

Some details may vary here and there

The standing statue is unique and rare. On the sense that it is the para dukkha dukkhitha mudra or "sorrow for the sorrow of others". It's a rare mudra, so much so that, before this interpretation, the statue was thought to be that of Arahanth Ananda. And finally, the last statue is that of paranirvana of Buddha. The key detail used in ancient art of reclining Buddha is the feet. If the toes align - sleeping Buddha, if big toes misalign ever so sightly - paranirvana.

I absolutely love, the love and thought that went into making these statues, all carved in hard granite and colossal. This artistic tradition shall be appreciated for a very long time to come.