A jewel not so well known embekke devalaya, handessa. Performing place nottingham eprints university of nottingham. Embekke devale, kandy overview founded by king vikramabahu iii between 5774 ad, embekka devalaya is an ancient temple dedicated to the guardian deity kataragama deviyo and the local deity devatha bandara of sri lanka. Visit the most ancient and historically important temples embekke, lankathilaka, and gadaladeniya. Though much attention has not paid by the averaged tourist about the history of this place this would have been the finest wood carving work in sri lanka. You will be picked up from your hotel by an airconditioned car. In the udu nuwara area of the kandy district lies a temple with a history of. The ambakke viharaya or the embekke devale is definitely counted as one of the temples, worth more than just a visit.
Sep 16, 2018 the temples serve living testimony to sri lankas buddhist heritage, history and exceptional craftsmanship. Built completely of wood, embekke devale is adorned with more than 500 graceful carvings. Diyakapeeme perahera lankathilaka, embekke, vegiriya, ganegoda. Embekke devale, kandy 2021 images, timings holidify. Embekka devalaya embekka temple was built by the king vikramabahu iii of gampola era ad 57 74 in sri lanka. Best sri lanka tour, 8 days package to colombo, negombo, kandy. Embekke devale carpentry the roof of the shrine is of great significance. Famously called temple of the sacred tooth relic, it is touted to be the most sacred buddhist temple in the whole world. Historical three temples allinclusive tour getyourguide. Always it intended to keep the form of the dress right through history.
Each temple holds a considerable amount of historical information of the ancient kingdoms era, carved mostly in stone. Attractions embekke devalaya, kandy in sri lanka tour. Embekke kataragama devale, vegiriya natha devale, ganegoda kataragama. The giant white statue sits atop a mountain peak and overlooks the city of kandy. Look at the pillars or drum hall with unique designs on each side. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. Embekke devale dedicated to god skanda, the kataragama deity, is famous for its fine woodcarvings. Some scholars speculate that the oldest kingdom in the history of ceylon was the ravanas lanka pura. Forget about your history textbook, do your own research on a guided tour to embekka devale. A local deity called devatha bandara is also worshiped at this site.
The temples are in good condition and the best way to reach them is by tuktuk, as the temples are a few kilometres apart from eachother. You have to pay 200 rupees for a ticket and then you get taken around by a guide who points out the wood carvings that are hundreds of years old. A synthesis of gampola and kandy period art and architecture. It is a great way to escape the busy city if kandy and explore the surrounding area. Embekke devale, another sacred temple, is known throughout the world for its fine wood carvings and pillars. Lakshika senarath gamage art history, ucla, embekke devale. A place with some of the best woodcraft in the world. Sri lanka prides countless spectacular religious venues for muslims, buddhists, christians and many hindus. Sri lankan silver candlesticks, kandy michael backman ltd. The best hotels closest to embekke temple in udunuwara for.
Wirawa estate bungalow has an exotic flair of its own, with an air of country cottage charm and serene natural surroundings, with virulent greenery, cool climes and panoramic scenery of the rolling green tea plantations and surrounding mountains, which easily leaves one breathless. The original and subsequent information of history allocated in. Embekka devale is one of the three most famous historical hot spots from the gampola kingdom, a building famous around the world for its incredible woodwork. Kandy, kandy travel guide, tourist places, tourist guide. Embekke devale shrine is located in the village of embekke close to daulgala of udunuwara division, about eight miles from kandy. Home to sacred temples like the temple of the tooth sri dalada maligawa and embekke devale, kandy has much to offer in the way of shopping, natural beauty, tranquility and cricket. Appreciate the care and effort in shapping swans, peakcocks, wrestlers, dragons and more. Revisiting authenticity in the asian context iccrom. The governments priority has been to pave the way for sustainable growth and create a new economic and social order for the betterment of all its citizens. City of kandy sri lanka sacred city of kandy tourslanka. Nearby lankatilaka viharaya, completed in 34, is a fine example of sinhalese temple architecture.
According to heinz bechert and paul younger, the mode of veneration and rituals connected with kataragama deviyo is a survival of indigenous vedda mode of veneration that preceded the arrival of buddhist and indoaryan cultural influences from north india in sri lanka in the last centuries bce, although. Embekka devale was the brainchild of king vikramabahu iii ruled 5774. The roof of the embekke devale bears some ingenuous revelations of classic carpentry masterpieces in fixing the rafters. Embekke devale was constructed during the reign of vikramabahu iii and was connected to the traditions of god skanda. Wooden columns at the meeting pavilion digge of the embekke devale complex. The vahalkada or the entrance porch of the devale also has 16 wooden pillars with some of the finest wood carvings, including a carving of a mother and child. Mar 25, 2021 the most famous temples are gadaleniya, lankatilaka and embekke devale. Todays best tour package in sri lanka takes you further into kandy. The roof, without a central beam, holds together 26 rafters of the roof by means of a giant wooden pin, a fine example of medieval carpentry. Museum excursion takes about 15 minutes and finishes with cup of complimentary tea, after everybody is thrown into a tea shop with quite inflated prices. Sri dalada maligawa is the sinhalese name for this holy shrine. A place with some of the best woodcraft in the world in the udu nuwara area of the kandy district lies a temple with a history of over six centuries.
Analysis on competitiveness of the handicrafts industry. Divya kumardumas south asia studies, university of pennsylvania, periodizing a landscape plan for sigiriya. Codrington not only mastered sinhala and tamil, but became familiar with sanskrit, pali and prakrit, which were very useful for the sannasas, mostly from learned buddhsit bhikkhus. Feb 07, 2014 embekke devale shrine is located in the village of embekke, about eight miles from kandy. Carved wooden ceiling beam at the meeting pavilion digge of the embekke devale complex, near kandy, central sri lanka.
Visit embekke temple which is famous for the intricately carved wooden pillars of its bigger, or drum hall. Dissertation planning grant recipients american institute. The 14th century meeting pavilion digge of the embekke devale complex, near kandy, central sri lanka. The lankatilaka temple is one of the most spectacular temples built by the ancient sinhalese gampola dynasty in the 14th century. Embekke is famous for the intricately carved wooden pillars of its digge, or drum hall. The year 2016 has joined the pages of the history books. Kandy hill capital sri lanka the hill country sri lanka. The ancient tea factory of hantana estate located 5 km away from kandy has been converted into a museum dedicated to the history of sri lankan tea, run by the sri lanka tea board. It is situated in the vicinity of daulgala, eight miles away from kandy. Buddha and the seven gods, the history and governance of activities by monks, priests and landlords p. The shrine believed to have been built by king wickramabahu the third of gampola in 51 ad. It is situated in the udunwara divisional secretariat division. Ceylon handcrafts ceylon handicrafts are of a history that runs back to millenniums.
A number of articles and books have been published around the world. Lankatilake temple provides a stunning and quiet setting for paying respects. The temple itself was not the most impressive but the carvings were very well preserved. Wirawa estate holiday bungalow a home away from home. Highlights at this hotel include 2 restaurants, a fullservice spa, and an outdoor swimming pool. Nestled quietly in the mist covered hills, kandy is known as the cultural capital of sri lanka. Besides, handicraft of woodcarving in sri lanka has a long history timeout editors, 2014.
The temple itself is well signposted from embekke and under a kilometre away. Here is the list of 10 most popular temples in sri lanka. In textbooks the terms kandyan dance and its equivalent in the sinhala. Anada, 1976, regional independence and elite change in the. Sri lanka, sri lanka travel guide, tourist places, tourist. Embekka devalaya embekka temple was built by the king vikramabahu iii of gampola era. This page was last edited on 2 october 2018, at 19. Challenges by pierre andre leclercq wikimedia commons.
The madol kurupuwa is one of the finest examples of medieval carpentry excellence. The fact that sri lanka has such an important place in it will undoubtedly be a source of pride for the people of the south and south east. During your stay at cinnamon citadel kandy, you can make a quick visit to this mystical temple and uncover the revelations of its carvings. Supposed to have been built during the gampola period, embekke devalaya is a. It is a wooden pin this madol kurupuwa which holds together 26 rafters at the hipped end of the roof of the digge of embekke devale. Hear about the history of this temple, and the importance it has represented for the culture. Lunch en route and on to a trio of devales embekke, gadaladeniya, and lankatilleke all. Lankatilaka, together with another buddhist shrine at gadaladeniya and the embekke devale dedicated to god kataragama, all dating from the fourteen century, form an important trio possessing their individual architectural and decorative merits to attract connoisseurs and scholars from all over the world. Built during the reign of king wickremabahu iii 7194ad who ruled in the kingdom of gampola, the temple is practically covered in wood carvings.
Astonishing and riveting is the bahirawakanda vihara buddha statue. Keppetipola, basnayake nilame of embekke devale were close collaborators in the study of the languages and research. According to pathirana 20, the tradition of woodcarving in sri lanka is manifested in kandy, at lankatilaka and embekke devale sanctuaries. It has truly been a remarkable year for the health sector in sri lanka. In the spaces between the plinth moldings of the old structure are. Collecting and re presenting chinese antiquities in late choson korea chair. The interior walls and ceiling are ornately decorated with floral designs and the inner sanctum contains a huge statue of the seated buddha. At these sanctuaries, tiny duplicate of the lowalleviation wood. The niyamgampaya temple was reconstructed by jayamale sitana during the reign of king vikramabau iii. Parading of randoli perahera from vishnu devale and buddhist temple.
We will visit the three great temples in succession, namely the lankatilaka temple, gadaladeniya temple and embekke devale. Kotte would have migrated from the gampola kingdom. There are number of theories as to the origin of the shrine. Production of sri lankas handicrafts, with the exception of jewelry, is essentially a cottage industry. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. Next he describes the radiant great royal temple of lankatilika p. This is a superb example of architecture in wood, and was established by king vikramabahu in 71 ad. At gelioya, about ten kilometres from kandy, make a right turn towards embekke village. No part of this ebook may be reproduced in any form without permission from the. Embekke devale was constructed during the reign of. Other places to visit near embekke temple embekke temple is not the only notable thing to do in the vicinity. E godakumbura book 7 editions published between 1963 and 1981 in 3 languages and held by 42 worldcat member libraries worldwide. Situated at welamboda, embekke temple is a deistic shrine dedicated to lord kataragama.
Kandy has earned the reputation of being sri lankas temple city based on the numerous temples and shrines that form an integral part, lending it a unique character. The gadaladeniya vihara or, as its also known as, saddharmatilaka vihara or dharma kirthi viharaya, is considered to be one of the largest rock temples in sri lanka and comprises a main shrine and dagoba with 4 miniature stupas around it. Built on a flat rock in diggala, in the district of kandy, is an ancient temple, tracing its roots back hundreds of years to the early 0s. Sightseeing in kandy 7 interesting places in the ancient. Buried in the article, devale recalls two examples from her own research, including a theory of instrumentspirits as participants in rituals devale 1988 and the life story of the gamelan brought to chicagos columbian exposition in 1893. A tranquil setting the three temple loop blue lanka. The temples serve living testimony to sri lankas buddhist heritage, history and exceptional craftsmanship. Having a deep and rich foot print in the history hindu and buddhist religion, the amazing nation has many buddhist and hindu temples. Famed for the intricate and elaborate wood carvings, pillars and other structures, embekke devalaya is nestled within the hill capital of sri lanka.
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