Return to Buddhist Art Catalogue PageBuddhist Monastic Architecture in Sri Lanka (The Woodland Shrines)/Anuradha Seneviratna & Benjamin Polk.1992, 152 p., 48 colour plates, bibliography,
Contents: Preface. 1. Travelling is victory. Arrival by air and sea. Marco Polo--Ibn Batuta--the Potuguese--the Dutch--the English. 2. Cities of the Old Kingdom. Colombo to Galle--Sketch of prehistory--Anuradhapura--Polonnaruwa. 3. The Kandy Fortress. On the way, 1890, 1980--Kandy Town, 1897, 1980. 4. Homage to ancient splendours : architectural note. Gadaladeniya--Lankatilaka--Embekke and Robert Knox--Alutnuwara--Dodantale. 5. In the cool mountain air. Winslow in 1820--Pusulpitiya--Bogoda bridge--Badulla--Ratnapura--Ekneligoda--Adam's Peak. 6. Temples on sacred stones. The Mahaveli Ganga--Ridi Vihara--Padeniya--Kolambagama--Dorabawila--Niyamgampaya--Trees and Architecture. 7. The inner circle : Godamunne Ambalama--Dalukgolla--Dodanwela--Aludeniya--Degaldoruwa--Golmaduw a--Asgiriya Monastery and Adahana Maluwa Gedige--Natha Devale--Temple of the tooth and the royal place--Audience hall--Queen's bath--Roofs. Epilogue : a day's life in Kandy, by Emily Polk. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.
"Little attention has hitherto been given to the role of timber construction in Sri Lanka's ancient architecture, and its photo-coverage has not until now appeared in one place. The buildings described here are mostly close to folk architecture but they comprise an important part of the ancient building tradition of Monsoon Asia--an immense area that includes parts of India, Nepal, Burma, Bali, and Japan, as well as Sri Lanka itself. Buddhist Monastic Architecture in Sri Lanka makes a permanent contribution to South Asian studies.
"The authors search out the ancient picturesque temples in the central hills. Guided by the well-known scholar, Professor Seneviratna, the book centres on colour photographs taken by architect Polk during an eight month sojourn in 1980-81. Both archaeological and architectural expertise thus combine, and added to this is the research into the writings of early travellers, researched by Emily Polk, poet and painter, who has put the threads of history of those adventurous days into a dramatic form." (jacket)
[Anuradha Seneviratna is Professor of Sri Lankan Culture at the University of Sri Lanka. His books include Architectural History of the Temple of the Tooth, Kandy and Historical Monuments of Kandy.] No. 6953