President unveils Sri Anandaramaya pinnacle in Kalutara
President Mahinda Rajapaksa will ceremonially unveil the pinnacle of
the newly constructed cetiya at Sri Anandaramaya in Maha Heenatiyangala
village in Kalutara South today. The statue made out of rock, five feet
in height and in Abaya and Kataka mudra is surrounded by four stone
pillars representing four noble truths of worldly life leading to
sorrow.
The leaning rock pillar on the left indicates the attachment to
worldly things, which causes the suffering.
|
Sri Anandaramaya |
| * Rock made
statue five feet in height
* Behind the statue rises the
bodhiya
* Behind the bodiya is the newly
constructed cetiya |
The eight rock pillars on the right indicate the eightfold path to
get rid of earthly attachment leading to sorrow.
The fallen rock pillar on the left indicates the understanding of
reality and realization of Nibbana. In front of the rock statue is
placed the Siripatula carved out of rose granite (tiruwana) modelled on
that of the Siripatula found in the Shrine room at Ruwanveli Dagoba.
Behind the statue rises the bodhiya, a sapling of Sri Maha Bodhiya
planted in 1989.
Behind the bodhiya is the newly constructed cetiya glittering in
white. The Atavisi Buddhas with their respective trees under which the
Buddhas attained enlightenment is exhibited around the bodhiya.
On a clear day one can view the Adams peak on the eastern side of the
hill, the sea, Holy Cross college church and Kalutara town on the
Western side of the hill and the Beruwala light house on the Southern
side of the hill.
The Sri Anandaramaya complex is the end product of the efforts of the
monks, dayaka sabhawas, devotees of the village and well-wishers.
Former High Court Judge Maxwell Paranagama, who is from the village
had commissioned the rock statue in Abaya and Kataka mudra to model on
the one at Pankuliya village at Anuradhapura belonging to Abhayagiriya
era.
The craftsman is C.M.Tillakeratne of Pilimatalawa, a former trainee
pupil of Gangaramaya temple, Colombo. His assistants were M. A. Siripala
and Tony Fernando. They had taken over three years to complete the
five-foot statue out of a rare rock material called Kalu-Kurudu found in
Nilambe, Galaha. |
