Ridi Viharaya Stupa

Ridi Viharaya Stupa Ridi Viharaya Stupa Ridi Viharaya Stupa

Ridi Viharaya lies about 20 kilometers away from the ancient kingdom of Kurunegala in a small village called Ridi Gama. This temple is said to be built by King Dutugemunu in the 2nd century BC as a memorial to the place where he found a silver (ridi) ore mine which was used to finance the building of the gigantic Ruwanweli Seya .

The great chronicle Mahavamsa describes the discovery of this mine by a trader

In a southerly direction from the city, at a distance of eight yojanas, silver appeared in the Ambatthakola-cave. A merchant from the city, taking many wagons with him, in order to bring ginger and so forth from Malaya, had set out for Malaya. Not far from the cave he brought the wagons to a halt and since he had need of wood for whips he wetit up that mountain. As he saw here a branch of a bread-fruit-tree, bearing one single fruit as large as a water pitcher, and dragged down by the weight of the fruit, he cut the (fruit) which was lying on a stone away from the stalk with his knife, and thinking: `I will give the first (produce as alms),' with faith he announced the (meal) time.

And there came thither four (theras) who were free from the asavas. When he had greeted them gladly and had invited them with all reverence to be seated, he cut away the rind around the stalk with his knife and tore out the bottom (of the fruit), and pouring the juice which filled the hollow forth into their bowls he offered them the four bowls filled with fruit-juice. They accepted them and went their way.

Then he yet again announced the (meal) time. Four other theras, free from the asavas, appeared before him. He took their alms-bowls and when he had filled them with the kernels of the bread-fruit he gave them back.

Three went their way, but one did not depart. In order to show him the silver he went further down and seating himself near the cave he ate the kernels. When the merchant also had eaten as he wished of the kernels that were left, and had put the rest in a bundle, he went on, following the track of the thera, and when he saw the thera he showed him the (usual) attentions. The thera opened a path for him to the mouth of the cavern: `Go thou now also on this path, lay brother!' When he had done reverence to the thera he went that way and saw the cave. Standing by the mouth of the cave and seeing the silver he struck upon it with his axe, and when he knew it to be silver he took a lump of the silver and went to his freight-wagons. Then leaving the wagons behind and taking the lump of silver with him the excellent merchant went in haste to Anuradhapura and told the king of this matter, showing him the silver.

As a gesture of gratitude The king decided to build a temple on the same ground and sent over 300 stone craftsmen to work on the temple. He also got a large gold plated Buddha statue to be bought from Dambadiva, India to be kept at the site. According to the the ancient book called "ridi vihara asna", when the king Dutugemunu was coming to the competed temple with the Buddha Statue brought from ind

Ridi Viharaya Stupa Ridi Viharaya Stupa Ridi Viharaya Stupa

Kurunegala ringkonnast

Kurunegala on Sri Lanka Wayamba provintsi ja Kurunegala ringkonna pealinn. Kurunegala oli kuninglik pealinn vaid 50 aastat, 13. sajandi lõpust kuni järgmise sajandi alguseni, kuigi juba enne seda oli see strateegiliselt paigutatud teiste majesteetlike kindluste keskele, nagu Yapahuwa põhjas, Dambadeniya lõunas ja Panduwasnuwara idas. Ethagala, 316 meetri kõrgune kalju, kõrgub linna kohal, mis asub 116 meetri kõrgusel merepinnast. Ethagala kuju meenutab elevanti. Transpordisõlmena on seal raudteejaam ja mitu peateed, mis ühendavad riigi olulisi osi. Kurunegala asub umbes 94 km kaugusel Colombost ja 42 km kaugusel Kandyst. Enamik Kurunegala elanikest kuulub singalite enamusse. Teiste etniliste vähemuste hulka kuuluvad Sri Lanka maurid, Sri Lanka tamilid, kodanikud ja malaiid. Rahvusvähemuste elanikud elavad linna kõikides osades, kuid märkimisväärsed mauride ja tamilite kogukonnad elavad ka Teliyagonna ja Wilgoda piirkondades.

Loodeprovintsist

Loodeprovints on Sri Lanka provints. Kurunegala ja Puttalami ringkonnad moodustavad Loodeprovintsi ehk Wayamba. Selle pealinn on Kurunegala, kus elab 28 571 inimest. Provints on tuntud peamiselt oma arvukate kookospähkliistanduste poolest. Teised peamised linnad selles provintsis on Chilaw (24 712) ja Puttalam (45 661), mis on mõlemad väikesed kalurilinnad. Enamik Wayamba provintsi elanikkonnast on singali päritolu. Puttalami ümbruses on ka märkimisväärne Sri Lanka mauride vähemus ning Udappu ja Munneswaramis elavad Sri Lanka tamilid. Piirkonna teisteks silmapaistvateks tööstusharudeks on kalapüük, krevetikasvatus ja kautšukipuude istandused. Provintsi pindala on 7888 km² ja rahvaarv 2 184 136 (2005. aasta arvutus). Wayamba on Sri Lanka suuruselt kolmas riisikasvatuspiirkond.

Wayambal on kõrgelt arenenud põllumajandus, kus lisaks traditsioonilistele istanduskultuuridele, nagu kookospähkel, kautšuk ja riis, kasvatatakse mitmesuguseid puu- ja köögivilju, õistaimi, vürtse ja õliseemneid. Rikkalik muld ja mitmekesine kliima annavad Wayambale potentsiaali praktiliselt iga põllukultuuri kasvatamiseks. Wayamba ehk Loode-provintsis asuvad iidsed budistlikud kaljutemplid, suurejoonelised tsitadellid Panduwasnuwara, Dambadeniya, Yapahuwa ja Kurunegala. Nende tsitadellide, paleede, budistlike templite ja kloostrite muljetavaldavad varemed pakuvad külastajatele põnevaid vaatamisväärsusi.

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