Mediaeval Sinhalese Art c19.54

Language: English

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The whole of the Mahāvaṃsa is extraordinarily full of the idea of art and craft, especially architectural. The ideals of civic and architectural magnificence and beauty are continually dwelt upon, often in poetical and imaginative passages of the highest order.* I quote in full the description of the restoration of Riḍi Vihāra by Kirti Śri. “And the lord of Painting the land gave unto the novice Siddhattha the large vihāra called Rajata [Riḍi Vihāra] that the king Duṭṭhagāmanī had built, who had verily come (into this world) with the desire Riḍi Vihāra to become the chief disciple of Maitri Buddha. And the ruler of Laṅkā caused that priest to be ordained, and bestowed offices on him and on all the priests who dwelt in the Uposatārāma, and also showed them favour in many ways. And that they might restore that vihāra which had been long in a state of decay, the lord of Laṅkā provided them with divers artificers and many painters, and much refined gold for gilding the statue of Buddha, and all the labour and instruments that were necessary. And when the eminent monk Siddhattha had received all these things he removed everything that was old and decayed, and made the thick high wall of solid stone, to shine, and the floor and the outer wall also. And he caused a picture of the Supreme Buddha, as he was engaged in the battle with Māra, to be painted on the roof of the rock, and divers flowers and branches also.

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He caused also the great sleeping image to be made with fine brick and mortar and clay, and many other images of Buddha also, sitting and upright. And on the inner wall he caused about a thousand beautiful pictures of the Supreme Buddha to be painted with exquisite art. At the foot of the great sleeping image he caused to be made, in due order, beautiful images of Ānanda, the constant attendant of Buddha and the preserver of the Law, and of Maitri Bodhisatva, of the excellent Nātha Dēva and of the king Duṭṭhagāmanī. And he gilded with gold the five large images of Buddha, and completed the other works that had to be done inside. On the outside wall also, he caused to be painted a beautiful row of figures of Dēvas and Brahmas carrying flowers in their hands, as if they had come to worship. He caused also to be made a large arch, beautiful and pleasant to the sight, and two figures of lions on the two sides of the door, and figures of demons on the spaces between them, in the walls. He also had pictures made of the sixteen principal shrines consisting of Mahiyaṅgana and the rest, and a likeness of the excellent footprint (of Buddha) on the Sacca-baddha Pabbata, and many scenes also, painted with exquisite art from many Jātakas, showing the ten-fold Pārami, the three-fold Cariyā, the five great self-denying sacrifices, and other virtues of the Bodhisatta). And in the hall he caused many pictures to be painted : lions, elephants, and swans, in rows;

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likewise flowers and branches also. “Then in the beautiful cave that is on the top of that selfsame rock he made a fair, large and excellent image-house pleasant to the sight, and many works in stone that were wrought to perfection. In it he made a large, beautiful, and life-like sitting image of Buddha, pleasant to behold, and on both sides thereof two fine upright statues. He also caused to be made there the images of Maitri Bodhisatva and of Uppalavaṇṇa, and many images of Buddha, and hundreds also of Arhats. Likewise also there were figures of the twentyfour Buddhas (before Gautama) and as many Bodhi trees, sāvisi-vivaraṇa, pictures of the sixteen principal shrines, of demons and other evil spirits, of the five different venerable convocations, and divers other paintings of exquisite beauty. In that very place he placed relics of Buddha, and built thereon a Cetiya, and adorned it with a pinnacle of gold. And on the top of the image-house in that excellent rock basin he caused a delightful picture to be made of the Sage, seated amidst his five hundred disciples, with Sāriputta at their head. And even in the different courts (of the vihāra) he built walls and open halls, and divers gates also, and rows of steps and other excellent works. He repaired many old works, also built many new ones; and completed all in a beautiful manner.

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“And when the time for holding the feast of the setting of the eyes of the images had come, and the king had sent his ministers with apparel and other ornaments (to conduct it), they adorned the place with many continuous rows of arches; and when they had made an end of putting on all the ornaments that were necessary and had arranged the order *Painting* of the high ceremonial, they celebrated the great feast, and, under a lucky star and at a favourable hour, performed the ceremony of setting the eyes of the images.