Sangha and architecture in ancient Sri Lanka
Kamalika PIERIS
In ancient Sri Lanka, the Sangha were closely associated with
Buddhist architecture. Gamini Wijesuriya says the monks advised the
architects when monasteries were built and in this manner had a hand in
the monastery architecture. Mahavamsa says that the monks had stopped
Dutugenumu from building too large a stupa, and got him to reduce the
size.
This shows that the monks definitely knew something about building.
Monks had also taken the initiative in getting temples built. Dambulla
rock inscription (2nd century) states that Sedadeva thera had built the
Chatavana temple.
Monks were in charge of the maintenance of monastery buildings. They
needed to know about building for that as well. Walpola Rahula says that
monks were summoned to personally make repairs to the roof of the
chetiya or to thatch the roof of the image house and Uposatha house.
Some monasteries had a permanent staff of craftsmen for renovation work.
Monks had to explain the Shilpa Sastra text to these craftsmen. The
stone cutters and carpenters at Abhayagiri were given a specific time
period within which they had to complete their work. They lost their
allotments if they failed to complete the work on time. The monks would
have had to decide on the length of time the craftsmen needed.
One unexpected finding about the Sangha therefore is their intimate
knowledge of building and architecture. I found that this was amply
demonstrated in the Mahavamsa. The Mahavamsa author, who was a monk,
writes knowledgeably about building. The religious buildings erected by
the Sinhala kings are described from the perspective of architect and
builder. We are told that the hall at Mirisavati Vehera was 'so planned
that stakes were set even in the water of the Abhaya tank'.
Architecture
Mahavamsa says that Kanittha tissa did away with the boundary wall of
Mahavihara, and replaced it with a row of cells. He moved another wall
of the Mahavihara to a side and created a road leading to the Dhakkina
Vihara. He added a refectory to the Dhakkina Vihara and provided a
mantling to the thupa. Mahadathika Mahanaga 'made a building firm' then
set up entrances which had been 'well planned by artists'. Jettatissa
rebuilt Lohapasada up to seven stories.
Mahavamsa has six chapters dealing with buildings. They describe the
construction of Mirisaveti, Lohapasada and Ruvanvelisaya (Mahathupa).
These chapters indicate an interest in architecture and familiarity with
building matters. The section on Lohapasada starts with design. The
Lohapasada was modelled on a Vimana which was found in the abode of the
gods. This Vimana was twelve yojanas high, and forty-eight yojanas
round. It had nine storeys, with jutting window-chambers and balustrades
adorned with little bells. The building had four-sided rooms, gleaming
with light. A drawing was made of this in red arsenic upon a linen cloth
and handed over to the king.
The Lohapasada plan was based on this drawing. Lohapasada, we are
told, had four sides, measuring hundred cubits on each side. It had nine
storeys with a hundred window chambers in each storey. There were well
arranged chambers inside. The balustrades of the projecting windows (vedika)
were of coral, with gem studded lotus flowers and rows of little silver
bells. The pasada was covered with plates of copper, hence its name.
Mahavamsa records important stages in building. The setting out of
the Ruvanvelisaya is described. The importance of a sound foundation is
discussed. The Mahavamsa author points out that there are right and
wrong ways of setting a firm foundation. He describes the composition
and setting up of the foundation of the Mahathupa, using clipped,
precise language, unlike the poetic style use elsewhere. The foundation
had several layers of material consisting of stone, clay, bricks,
cement, kuruvinda, iron, marumba and mountain crystal. A sheet of copper
and a sheet of silver along with Kapita resin dissolved in Kurumba water
and arsenic dissolved in sesamum oil was placed on top of these layers.
Geographical position
The sites from which material for the Mahathupa foundation were
obtained are described giving emphasis to geographical position. The
gold came from a plain covering sixteen karisas of land, situated in a
north easterly direction form Anuradhapura, at a distance of three
yojanas. The plain had nuggets of gold which were at least of a finger's
measure. Some nuggets measured a span. Copper appeared on the east on
the bank of a river at distance of seven yojanas. Silver appeared at the
Ambatthakola cave, eight yojanas away in the South. This is the site of
the present day Ridi Vihara.
The Mahavamsa author is aware of the various practical issues
connected with constructing a new building. There is a description of
how the king selected a contractor for the Mahathupa from the master
builders available. He looked at their offers. The ones who were going
to use more than one amuna of sand were rejected and the one who said he
would 'pound the sand in a mortar, and then when it is sifted, have it
crushed in the mill. I will thus use only one amuna of sand' was given
the job.
The need for materials of good quality was mentioned. Fine clay was
sought and obtained for the butter clay which was used as cement.
Quality control was recorded. Two monks had tried, on two separate
occasions, to introduce bricks made of impure clay when the Mahathupa
was under construction. These attempts were detected and there was
uproar on both occasions. Specifications are given. The silver sheet
used for the Mahathupa foundation was seven inches thick. The fat
coloured stones were eighty cubits in length, eight inches thick and as
bright as the sun. Pastes applied were eight fingers and four fingers
thick. Quantities were noted. Ten kotis of bricks were used for the
flower terraces of Ruvanvelisaya. The time taken to build was also
recorded. Mirisaveti took three years to build.
Construction sites
The workers on the construction site were not forgotten. The
Mahavamsa repeatedly states that wages were paid and essential items,
such as clothes, food and drink were given free on the construction
sites. When the Lohapasada was built, King Dutugemunu commanded that
eight hundred thousand gold pieces be placed at each of the four gates,
as well as a thousand bundles of garments, and several pitchers filled
with ball-sugar, oil, sugar dust, and honey. He announced that no work
would be done without reward. He had the work done by the labourers
appraised and wages given to them. Workers on the Mahathupa were paid in
cash. A hundred thousand Kahapanas were set aside for this. The
Mahavamsa author was utterly cost conscious. The first thing given about
a building is its cost. The author reported that Lanjatissa built three
stone terraces spending three hundred thousand pieces of money.
Lanjatissa had spent another hundred thousand for Chetiya Vihara.'
Jettatissa renovated the Lohapasa so that "it was now worth a lot of
money. Jetthtissa then gifted it a jewel worth sixty thousand.
Dutugemunu had given gifts to the Bodhi tree spending a hundred thousand
pieces of money."
Everything in a building was costed. Thrones whenever mentioned were
declared to be worth a koti each. A pasada in one of the buildings was
reckoned at thirty kotis. The bundles of pearl strings on the four
corners of a canopy were each worth nine hundred thousand pieces of
money.' Mahavamsa describes the Lohapasada complex in detail.
He speaks of the main hall with its ivory throne and white parasol
decorated in coral and silver. He concludes by saying "palace, parasol,
throne and pavilion were beyond price.' Architect Shereen Amendra found
that the Mahathupa (Ruvanvelisaya) as described in the Mahavamsa had a
'curious design and construction'. She noted that the materials used for
its foundation were not found in any other stupa, nor did any other
stupa record such a diverse array of materials. She identified the
materials described and looked at their properties.The materials listed
included borax, phosphorus, quartz, sapphires, copper, and silver. These
are used today in electronics. Quartz has semi-conductor properties.
Sapphire is considered an excellent electrical insulator. Copper and
silver are used as electric conductors.
Technology
She suggests that the ancients knew that lightening was an electrical
phenomenon. She conjectures that the pinnacle design, with its upakila
was intended to harvest the electrical charges from the clouds. She
conjectures that this would have acted on the base layer and the relic
chamber and that this buried technology was used for some unknown
purpose. The 'sparkling zigzag lines' mentioned may have been real
sparks or discharges of electricity. She is definite that the
Ruvanvelisaya as described in the Mahavamsa is far beyond that of a
reliquary or a monument.
The writings of Shereen Amendra, A. S. Hettiarachchi, Walpola Rahula
and Gamini Wijesuriya were used for this essay.
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