Primary Cave Paintings of Thanthirimale | තන්තිරිමලේ ප්‍රාථමික සිතුවම් ලෙන (2018) - 5 of 7

Thanthirimale (also spelled as Tantirimale) is an old village in the Anuradhapura District of Sri Lanka. It is located approximately 40 km north west of the Anuradhapura city.
The village is known for the ancient Buddhist temple Thanthirimale Raja Maha Vihara, situated in a nearby rock covered area.
The temple and the junction appear to be most important center in the village. This temple, which was built in the third century BC has a historical value. When the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi was brought from India to Sri Lanka, one night along the way to Anuradhapura, the pot containing the sapling was kept at Thanthirimale. It is believed that there was one branch separately grew from the pot, was planted at that village to remember the incident. Hence, some believe that this may be the first Sri Maha Bhodi plant in Sri Lanka. The Bo Tree is placed on top of large stony layer which may protect the tree up to now.
Source: Wikipedia
The Thanthirimale Rajamaha Viharaya is surrounded by huge rock boulders and thick forest cover. One could only imagine what the monastery had looked like nearly 2300 years ago but the peace and serenity still prevails.
Built in the Third Century BC and used by King Devanampiyatissa as a one-day stop to Arahanth Theri Sangamitta on her way to Anuradhapura with the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi plant, Thanthirimale Rajamaha Viharaya seems to have developed from a small temple to a large monastery by the end of the Anuradhapura period.
The area was first civilized by a minister of King Vijaya called Upatissa, who chose this ground, surrounded by Malwathu Oya and Kanadara Oya by three sides to build his future town then named Upastissa Gama.
When King Devanampiyatissa first visited the temple in Thanthirimale, it was known by another name - Thivanka Bamunu-Gama. It was confirmed by a rock inscription near the ancient Bodhi tree at sight, which states that one of the first eight offshoots of Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi was planted at Thivanka Bamunu-Gama.
Although the name suggests, the village was the home to a Brahmin called Thivanka; archaeologists have a different theory on it. They suggest that it was called Thivanka since it was a Brahmin village surrounded by three curves of the Malwatu Oya.
Some go as far as to suggest that Thanthirimale is the long lost ‘Panduvasdewu Nuwara’ the legendary kingdom of King Panduwasdewa, father to Unmada Chithra and grandfather to the first King of Sinhala- Pandukabhaya.
The most beautiful sight at Tanthirimale is the Samadhi and reclining Buddha statues carved from the large rocks of Thanthirimale.
The Samadhi statue established near the Bodhi shows characteristics of the late Anuradhapura period. Standing eight feet high, the statue has an unfinished look about it and the two rows of unfinished and un-carved outlines of Buddha statues by the sides of the main statue confirm the fact that the statue was built in the last age of Anuradhapura prior to the invasion of Kalinga-Maga.
The same sense of urgency is visible in the reclining Buddha statue. More trends of the Polonnaruwa period are present in this 45 feet statue. The Kalinga-Maga invasion seemed to have kept the artist in check since he had left the statue without giving it the elegant shape it deserves.
The Pothgula or the monastery library is situated on a high rock. The 12 Padhanagaraya structures are the only buildings within the monastery site. Scattered over 250 acres the Padanagarayas served as meditation or living areas for meditating monks. They were surrounded by water and were also used for Pohoyakarma or Punitive Rituals.
Five meditating caves scattered inside the deep forest of Tanthirimale however, date back to the first century BC with Brahmi writings detailing donors and constructors of the caves.
The presence of these writings, some as old as 4000 years, suggests the presence of a civilisation in Tanthirimale older than the Buddhist civilisation introduced by Arahanth Mahinda.
Source: Amazing Lanka
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