Sri Lanka - the Buddhist story of the Pearl of the Indian Ocean

With tales of great ancient empires, the colonial era, and wildlife abound, there is so much to see and do in Sri Lanka. But one theme which will constantly rise to the surface is the story of the introduction of Buddhism to this land.

Tradition tells us the Buddist missionary Mahinda Maurya, the first-born son of the Indian Mauryan emperor Ashoka, reached the island in the 3rd century BCE. Joined later by his sister Sangamitta Thera, she bought with her a sapling from the bodhi tree under which the Gautama Buddha reached enlightenment and has since been lost to the world. Planted by King Devanampiya Tissa of Anuradhapura, today it is one of the most sacred sites in Sri Lanka.

Some say the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is the oldest living documented human-planted tree in the world today, having been planted in 288 BCE.

The conversion of the king to Buddhism saw the rapid expansion of the faith with monasteries set up and the monks starting to record important events in what is known as the Pali Canon, a collection of ancient scriptures.

Known as the Theravada sect of Buddhism, three versions were initially followed although these later merged. Today over 70% of Sri Lankans follow the religion and is said to be the oldest continuous form of Buddhism in the world, mainly thanks to the many kings who championed the cause over the ages.

The Maha Stupa built 7-19 CE

The Sinhalese King, Devanampiyais, is said to of been converted by Mahinda at Mihintale in 247 BCE. A flight of eighteen hundred steps takes you to the site of the temple now topped by the Maha Stupa.

The Isurumuniya Viharayis

The Isurumuniya Viharayis is thought to of been built between 250 – 210 BCE but was lost to the world covered in thick vegetation until its rediscovery in the 19th century. The rather charming rock carvings being of a much later date (7th-8th Century CE).

Carvings at the Isurumuniya Viharayis

Entrance to the larger of the sacred caves at Dambulla

At Dambulla, over eighty caves have been documented with the oldest dating from the 1st century BCE. The five main caves are covered in 23,000 sq feet of murals and home to 157 statues. The UNESCO status recognises its importance as the largest best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka.

A few of the many statues inside the caves of Dambulla

Wall murals at Dambulla

The modern Golden Temple of Dambulla

The Ruwanwelisaya Stupa of Anuradhapura

Finished around 137 BCE, the Ruwanwelisaya Stupa at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura is revered as one of the most sacred Buddist monuments in the world with its shape inspired by the shape of a bubble. Several relics of the Buddha are believed to be enshrined within the structure.

Elephants symbolism has been used in the Buddhist faith since its creation.

The Abhayagiri Dagaba built between 89 - 77 BCE was the centerpiece of another of the most sacred Buddhist monasteries again in the Anuradhapura area, home to five thousand monks in the 5th century CE.

The close-by Samadhi Buddha is seen as one of the finest classical masterpiece dating back to 3rd- 4th century CE and is carved in the posture of meditation associated with his first Enlightenment.

Close by, the Jetavanaramaya Stupa is still one of the world's biggest brick buildings. Built by 303 CE, it said to consist of an amazing 90 million bricks and was once originally aligned to the Sagalika sect of Theravada.

If you like your facts, there are enough bricks here to build a three-metre wall between London and Edinburgh and still holds the accolade of being the world's tallest stupa. I find the age of construction of such a building mind boggling.

The Avukana Buddha statue carved in the 5th century CE stands some twelve metres tall carved out of granite. The pose is known as the "giving of the blessing" while a copy of the Buddha's footprint can be found close by.

The mysterious figures at Buduruwagala are thought to date from the 10th century with the central figure 51 feet in height making it the tallest on the island. Little is known of the significance of the location.

During the 12th century CE, the capital was moved to Polonnaruwa following the sacking of Anuradhapura by Indian invaders and saw the carving of the Gal Vihara (stone shrine) and its impressive collection of Buddha statues. Classified as a UNESCO site, this was also the filming location for the Duran Duran video Save a Prayer!

Finally, we come to the home of the tooth of the Gautama Buddha at Kandy located in the Royal complex which is now classed as yet another UNESCO site, mainly due to the temple which houses the relic.

Being a sign of great political as well as religious importance, the temple was bombed in 1989 and 1998 by the Tamil Tigers. The current building date back to the late 17th century.

The Temple of the Tooth shrine

Today millions of people visit the site with the inner doors of the shrine opening occasionally causing mass panic, as people try and shuffle past to see the casket holding the tooth.

The moat around the Royal complex

One last location worth mentioning is Sri Padasthanaya (Adams Peak), the holy mountain of Sri Lanka revered by several religions and said to be where the Buddha left his left footprint.

This now leads to thousands of pilgrims making the climb between December and April, often to watch the sunrise as I did. With some five thousand steps to negotiate to reach the 2,243-metre high peak, a very early start was needed.

Sunrise as viewed from the summit of Adam's Peak

Descending from Adam's Peak

By the end of the trip, it's fair to say I had seen my fair share of Buddha statues learning about the different poses and the significance of various aspects of the faith. It may be classed as the world's fourth-largest religion but in many ways, I came away seeing it as something else, the word Karma springs to mind...