These are photos of guardstone found in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Although there are guardstones found in other Buddhist temples as well, this guardstone is considered the most artistic guardstone in Sri Lanka. On our visits to Sri Lanka, we usually visit the ancient city of Anuradhapura and visit these places. These are captures from such a Sri Lankan holiday.
Guardstone (Muragala)
A guardstone or The Muragala as called in the Sinhalese language is a stone carved feature found in the ancient architecture of Sri Lanka. These are located on both sides of a flight of steps that leads to Buddhist temples.
If there is a flight of steps to reach a temple, then there are two guardstones at the sides of the foot of the steps. A guardstone is usually carved with different features.
Other than the famous guardstone of Anuradhapura, I also captured other structures of this ancient temple.
See the carved steps.
Truly I was inspired by the creativity and hard work of our ancestors. 🙂
Below is a moonstone which is another feature found in Buddhist temples. Usually, a moonstone (Sandakadapahana in the Sinhala language) is found at the foot of a flight of steps that lead to a temple. The carvings make it a unique feature of the ancient architecture of Sri Lanka.
In this post, you can see photos of a guardstone with a carved cobra design.
Anuradhapura Ancient City
Anuradhapura is an ancient kingdom of Sri Lanka. Therefore it is a must-visit city for any tourist to Sri Lanka. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site where there are many historical sites to view and admire.
Below are some other posts I published based on our visits to Anuradhapura ancient city.
Sri Lanka Anuradhapura – Must Visit Attractions
Walking from Thuparamaya to Ruwanwalisaya – Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
An Unforgettable Pilgrimage to Anuradhapura – Sri Lanka
Why Anuradhapura Ancient City Is A Must Visit Place In Sri Lanka
2 hours in Isurumuniya Temple, Sri Lanka
Do you like to visit such historical sites? Please share your thoughts and experiences.
**Sharing this post with some of the linky parties shared on my blog linky list.
So beautiful. I love all this that has a rich history.
Thank you for joining the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop.
Have a fabulous day. ♥
What an impressive place. A lot of history there.
The ancestors let us so many monuments… We have to think what we let for the future generations…
Thank you for this post with so many ideas
Happy Today and a fine week!
Its a very creative guardstone too.
How fascinating! Yes, I love to visit historical sites. TFS!
Thank you for explaining guardstones and moonstones. Beautiful details.
…the old ornate stone details are wonderful to see. Thanks.
Wonderful series of photos of a spiritual place ~ great history and stone work ~ namaste,
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative harbor)
Thank you for sharing the beautiful guardstone and moonstone with us at #weekendcoffeeshare. The carving details are amazing.
Such wonderful art, with intricate details and craftsmanship. I’m glad they are preserved.
It looks a very interesting place to visit! Some of the detail in the carvings is incredible.
Wow, they are so impressive! Thanks for sharing your snaps and linking up with #MySundaySnapshot.
Beautiful shots of this significant cultural and artistic monument, Amila. Thanks for taking part in the “My Sunday Best” meme.