Guardians of ancient religious buildings

When you visited ancient temples, you would have seen the beautiful guard stones that adorn their entrances. Weren’t they really fascinating? Today, we bring you information about some of these guard stones or muragal as they are known locally.

They are also known as doratupala figures. Whatever we may call them, they are some of the finest creations of ancient Sinhalese artwork. As you may have seen, guard stones are vertical stone slabs with the figure of a celestial (heavenly) being carved in semi-relief(a style used in carving) and erected at the entrance to religious buildings.

They provide support to the heavy stone balustrade(short pillars supporting a rail). These guard stones were plain in the beginning. It was much later that they came to be sculptured with symbols significant of prosperity and protection. The best example of a guard stone is seen at the Abhayagiri complex. Now, let us give you details of the figures carved in those verticalslabs.

Naga-Raja

The cobra was considered the guardian of water and treasure. Zoomorphic (the use of animal figures in art and design or of animal symbols in literature) sculptures of multi-headed cobras have been found at the sluices of reservoirs, and at the four corners of relic chambers enshrined in dagabas.

The concept of protection could have arisen out of popular belief that when people die they are reincarnated as cobras to protect the treasures they had buried in their previous lives.

This idea of protection is believed to have been incorporated in the third and final stage of development of the guard stones, not as a zoomorphic symbol, but as an anthropomorphic (depiction as human figures) one of a cobra king or naga-raja.

The Naga-Raja is gracefully carved to indicate movement and poise. In one hand he holds the pot of plenty (punkalasa) and in the other, a sprouting branch complete with leaves, buds and flowers.

The body is princely dressed and ornamented. Around the head is a five-hooded, seven-hooded and occasionally a nine-hooded cobra.

This indicates that the Naga-Raja has taken the place of the Bahirawa as a guardian of wealth and an omen of prosperity. Sankha and Padma have been diminished to two minor figures or gana at the feet of the Naga-Raja. There may be one or two gana on the guardstones.

The very best Naga-Raja guardstones may be seen at the Ratanaprasada in Anuradhapura and the Vatadage in Polonnaruwa. In the Polonnaruwa guard stone, there are two gana figures, while there is only one at the Ratanaprasada. The headdress and ornaments of the Naga-Raja figures have been exquisitely moulded.

In the Ratanaprasada guard stone, the arch above the figure is also profusely carved. There is a double makara head at the apex, and a makara head at each end of the base of the arch. Lions and dancing human forms spill out of the mouths of these makara.

We hope you learnt something new about the guard stones in Sri Lanka. Next time you visit Anuradhapura or Polonnaruwa, pay attention to the figure in the guard stone. Then you would know the purpose they served.

Punkalasa

Guard stones had gone through three major stages in their development. Using the punkalas design was the first stage in this development.

In ancient days, there was a custom to keep pots of water with flowers (usually of the coconut palm variety) and budded twigs in front of buildings on important occasions. Even nowadays, such pots known as punkalas, are kept in front of wedding poruwas and also used at other important occasions.

Ancient architecture may have been designed to bring prosperity to buildings all throughout the year. Examples of carved punkalasa guard stones can be seen in the archaeological museum in Anuradhapura. The “pots of plenty” in these specimens are placed on a lotus-moulded pedestal.

Bahirawa

In the second stage of development, dwarf figures took the place of the punkalasa. According to local traditions, they were known as Bahirawa. They represent two yaksas employed to protect the wealth of God Kuvera, which is said to be stored in the ocean. Ancient villagers used to carry out Bahirawa poojas to get protection for their family and wealth.

So, the Bahirawa sculpture was used to provide protection for the building. Known by the names Padma and Sankha, the two yaksas are distinguished by their headdresses, a lotus in the former and a conch in the latter.

They are depicted as pot-bellied persons wearing loin cloths and holding strings of coins. Well-preserved Bahirawa specimens may be seen in Anuradhapura at the Abhayagiri Vihara and the palace of King Vijayabahu I.

- Janani Amarasekara