Beautiful spaces in Sri Lanka:

Embekke Devala

by Husna Inayathullah

Embekke is unique because it owns some of the greatest wood carvings in Sri lanka. There are eight buildings built for the temple of Embekke. Six buildings are in the inner temple, and two of them outside. The structures that are inside the surrounding wall are known as the 'inner temple'. The structures that are outside the wall are known as the 'outer temple.' Once you pass the main entrance of the Embekke Devala, you will find the main hall with wood carvings. The columns, pillars and doors are beautifully carved and even the roof has significant features.

The rafters all slant from above towards the incoming visitor are fixed together and kept in position by a Madol Kurupawa, a kind of a giant catch pin like of which we do not find elsewhere.

The specialty is that they have used wood for everything without using any metal parts. Nails are made of wood. Decorations includes flowers, swans, dancers, soldiers and many mythical animals.

Embekke Devala was built by King Wickramabahu III of Gampola Era (AD 1357 - 1374) in Sri Lanka. The Devala in Embekke is dedicated to the worship of Mahasen who is popularly known as Katharagama Deviyo. A local deity called Devatha Bandara is also worshiped at the site.

The shrine consists of three sections, the"Sanctum of Garagha", the "Digge" or "Dancing Hall" and the "Hevisi Mandapaya" or the "Drummers' Hall". The Drummers' Hall has drawn the attention of visitors to the site due to the splendid wood carvings of its ornate pillars and its high pitched roof.

A drummer in Arathtana who had a skin disease decided to go to the Temple of Katharagama - a temple in the southern part of Sri Lanka to cure himself. His disease was cured after he promised to worship at the temple annually.

Due to his old age, he was unable to continue the annual ritual travel. Then the god of Katharagama made a prediction of a miracle near Arathtana and ordered him to perform rituals there.

The gardener of the flower garden in Embekke of Queen Henakanda Bissobandara tried to remove a "Kaduru" tree from the garden. When he cut it a stream of blood began to flow from the tree. After knowing it, the drummers perform the rituals there as he was ordered to do by the god. He built a small temple called the "Embekke Devala."

After some days king Wickramabahu in Senkadagala era, ordered to build a three-storey building there and gave land, queens' jewellery and elephants as gifts.

Since then the temple of Embekke is worshipped by people. Today, the drummers' relatives perform rituals in Embekke.

It is said that some of the wood work utilised for the "Drummers' Hall" came from an abandoned "Royal Audience Hall" at Gampola. There is every possibility the hall has seen repairs during the reign of the Sinhalese Kings of Kandy.

The carvings which adorn the wooden pillars of the drummers' hall as well as the Vahalkada (the entrance porch of the devala) are some of the best examples of Sinhalese art.

Embekke Devala is situated in Medapalata Korale of Udunuwara in the Kandy district. It is in the village Arathtana.

The easiest way to get to Embekke is coming from Colombo-Kandy main road at Pilimathalawe. There is a clear sign post hosted by the Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka at the start of the road to Embekke.

It is about 7 - 8km from Pilimathalawe to Embekke from the Colombo-Kandy main road. On Daulagala road proceed about a mile and you will come to the Gadaladeniya junction where you can see the famous Gadaladeniya Vihara.