Hello my loving architectural lovers,
How are you guys? I believe you are doing well righ now. Greetings from Sri Lanka. As soon as we hear the word Devinuwara, anyone in our country remembers the site of Lord Vishnu mentioned in the Hindu mythology. In our country, special temples are built and offerings are made to the areas where some gods are said to have lived. People of the past believed that Lord Vishnu resides there and built a temple like this. The number of people who believe in God more than their own belief in our country can be counted only after visiting such a historical shrine. Beliefs from the past, however, reflect our cultural values well.
You can see how the entrance gate of Utpalavanna Sri Vishnu temple is arranged in Hindu and Buddhist tradition. The roof is painted blue because Lord Vishnu's body color is also blue. The top of the roof has two stupas on either side, and carvings can also be seen on the roof. Two dragons and a demon similar to Chinese architecture are harvested. The sun and the moon are placed side by side. There is a rabbit in the shape of the moon because of a belief in our society. Since ancient times there was a belief that there was a rabbit in the moon. Below it is a small stupa made according to Sri Lankan architecture. On either side of the main entrance, there are two idols of the same type found in many temples in Sri Lanka. The paint has been recently repainted so it has a new color.
There is also an entrance behind the Utpalavanna Sri Vishnu temple. It is made of black stone. There is a stone wall on both sides to protect the entrance. The carvings on the stone door are amazing. The superstitious man known as Bhairava holds everything in his hands. All the other carvings are of Buddhist symbols, invisible Gods, mythical animals, etc. from past Sri Lanka. Indeed, there was incredible architecture at the time. No further evidence is needed to mention the skill of the sculptors of that time.
After entering the grounds of Sri Vishnu Temple, one can see the blue colored temple made in triangular shape from above. On the way to the temple, a piece of blue cloth with lotus flowers on it was put on the ground, it must have been for an offering. Architectural features belonging to Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura periods can be seen only in those nearby areas. Otherwise, only if the kings who ruled at that time conquered other parts of Sri Lanka. Stone quarries were used to construct buildings according to Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura architecture. A large number of such stones have been preserved in the temple grounds even today.
Various engravings were also found in those stones when we visited and observed them. In the past there may have been buildings built between these stone ditches. They were destroyed some time ago. Beyond that are the recently built temple buildings. Some Sinhalese and Tamil devotees crush coconuts on a stone with strong faith in God. Such a place was also found in Sri Vishnu temple.
A large number of devotees gathered inside the Sri Vishnu temple to offer prayers to Lord Vishnu. There was no chance to show the architecture inside as it was displayed that photography was prohibited inside. However, the exterior of the building has an attractive appearance and finish. The walls are painted blue and have a bright glow. The balcony portion of the first floor is covered with a golden railing.
It was revealed here that the lotus flower symbol is unique not only to Buddhism but also to Hinduism. Lotus flowers were drawn and plucked all over the walls. Various traditional carvings are carved around the entrances.
I have never seen before the shape of the wooden beams that help to keep the roof strong. A flower carving is carved in the center of the stone pillar on all four sides. I did not have a proper understanding of some of the signs because I had never seen them before. I was lucky to see a different architecture anyway.
The second floor is just a small room. The doors and windows of the chamber were circular at the top. But there is not much understanding about the signs drawn on the walls of the upper floor. Above the doors were green and yellow imaginary animal-like species.
As I noticed that there are carvings on the roof of the temple, I zoomed the camera and took photos because you should also show it clearly. The roof was covered with wood in a triangular shape. Such architectural features can be seen in the temples built in the past, but such features cannot be seen in the temples built today.
The upper floor doors are made of wood and have no carvings. But the windows have a common design. The white color between the blue color and the systematic coating around the doors and windows has given an attractive look.
The carvings of the windows are occasionally seen in other temples as well. Above it, Buddha is depicted in a meditative posture on a lotus flower. My attention was drawn to two imaginary creatures with a naked female body, wings on the back, and feet like chickens. They also had two musical instruments in their hands. I think that it is mentioned in the past historical stories and folktales who this is.
Looking towards the road from the Sri Vishnu temple, it is seen that the carvings, designs etc. which are present at the entrance are also in the back area.
The steps leading to the temple had the shape of a dragon cut out. As in Chinese and Thai Buddhist architecture, dragons are present in our country's architecture.
At the entrance to the temple grounds, there was a stone carved place called "Sadakada Pahana" as in many temples. Animals, flowers, vines, logos etc. related to Buddhism are engraved here. These unique architectural features from the days of past kings can still be seen today.
