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| Sunday, 27 March 2005 |
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Junior Observer |
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News Business Features
Editorial
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Embekka Devale : Site of the finest wood carvings Have you ever visited the Embekka Devale? It is certainly worth visiting, as the devale is said to have the most impressive wood carvings found in Sri Lanka.
Kandy has been the most famous area for wooden carvings in the island. The Magul Maduwa in Kandy, Ridee Vihara and Aludeniya Vihara are some of the other well-known local places for wood carvings. The village of Embekka is found in the area known as Udunuwara in the Kandy district. It is situated about three kilometres from the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens. This is where you will find the beautiful devale, which was built during the 14th century. It is believed to have been built by King Wickremabahu III, who reigned in Gampola from 1357 to 1374, in honour of the God of Kataragama. The king is said to have built it on the invitation of his queen. The site comprises the devale, digge and the centre where hewisi were played.
The carved wooden pillars in the temple are believed to have come from a royal audience hall in the city. They are said to be the finest such carvings belonging to the Kandyan era, and have earned the devale much acclaim from artists. The carvings include lions, swans, bulls, elephants, double-headed eagles, leaf patterns, wrestling men, soldiers, horse riders, dancing women, mermaids and lotus motifs. There are altogether 128 carvings in these pillars and what is unique about them is that all these carvings are different from each other. Some believe these carvings to have been done by an artisan known as Devendra Mulachari.
There are 16 wooden pillars at the entrance to the devale. The 52 feet, 10 inches long and 25 feet, 9 inches wide digge has 32 square-shaped pillars. The wood known as gammalu has been used here, while other types of wood such as ginisapu, na and pihibiya have been used in the other sections. Most of these intricately carved wooden pillars have stone pillars as their base.The most impressive feature of the devale is its roof. It does not have one central beam, but 26 smaller rafters are fixed to the roof through huge wooden nails, resembling spokes in the wheel of a cart. It is the only place in Sri Lanka where such a construction can be witnessed. The main devale is a 28 feet long, 23 feet and 7 inches wide two-storeyed building. The smaller devale is built close to it. The entrance is through a large doorway built of wood and there is a verandah spreading on three sides of the building. The other constructions which can be seen at the Embekka Devala site are vahalkada, image house, kitchen and granary. They are located within a wall. The ambalama (resting place) and throne are located outside these premises, but also belong to the devale. The Embekka Devala is the stage for a smaller scale version of the Kandy Esala Perahera, which is held every September. So the next time you happen to be in Kandy, don't forget to check out this beautiful temple. |
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