These two cards are from two Unesco sites in Sri Lanka. The Sacred City of Kandy is a new site in my collection and the card depicting the statue of Parakramabahu I is my 2nd card from Polonnaruwa.
kandy was added to the Unesco list in 1988 and Polonnaruwa in 1982.
Copyright by Juergen Schreiber
This sacred Buddhist site, popularly known as the city of Senkadagalapura, was the last capital of the Sinhala kings whose patronage enabled the Dinahala culture to flourish for more than 2,500 years until the occupation of Sri Lanka by the British in 1815. It is also the site of the Temple of the Tooth Relic (the sacred tooth of the Buddha), which is a famous pilgrimage site.
The monumental ensemble of Kandy, rebuilt in the reign of Keerti Sri Rajasimha, is an outstanding example of a traditional type of construction in which the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Tooth of Buddha are juxtaposed. The Temple of the Tooth, the palatial complex, and the sacred city of Kandy are directly and tangibly associated with the history of the spread of Buddhism, one of humanity's great religions. Built to house the relic of the tooth of Buddha, which had come from Kalinga (Orissa State, India) to Sri Lanka during the reign of Sri Meghavanna (310-28), when it was transferred a final time, the Temple of Kandy bears witness to an ever flourishing cult. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/450
Copyright © Leisure Publications
This statue in Polonnaruwa, commonly known as the statue of Parakramabahu I, is a stone sculpture dating back to the 12th century. Its identity is uncertain, although the widely accepted theory is that it is a statue of King Parakramabahu I, who ruled the country 1153 to 1186.
The 11-foot-2-inch-high (3.40 m) statue was carved on a large boulder, the statue depicts a majestic figure with a grave expression, holding a book or yoke in his hands.
This is one of the best stone sculptures belonging to the Polonnaruwa period.
No comments:
Post a Comment