Lecture 3: M. Pradesh
Sri Lanka: The Resplendent Isle
This lecture features slides from Mary B. Wheeler's visits to the island of Sri Lanka, taken primarily between the years 1978 and 1982. Among the many images highlighted are intricate architectural shots and lushly painted details of frescoes from Buddhist monasteries and temples, which attest well to the richness of the Buddhist art tradition from ancient times to the present day. However, the real treat of this lecture is in Mary B. Wheeler's keen eye for the ethnographic image, and her series of slides detailing the procession of the Sacred Relic in the annual Perahera Festival at the famous Temple of the Tooth Relic at Kandy provide important documentation for the scholar, as well as a fully visceral experience for the interested viewer.
In describing her travels through Sri Lanka, Mary B. Wheeler presented 241 slides, which touch upon various historical and cultural aspects of the areas she encountered. In order to make her lecture more accessible to the interested viewer and to minimize download time, we have sequentially distributed her images onto sixteen distinct webpages. The pages are arranged topically and sequentially, remaining true to the order in which Mary B. Wheeler originally presented them. Available audio clips, included also on individual topical pages, are listed here for your convenience. You, as the viewer, have the option of following along with Mary B. Wheeler's original lecture sequence, or selecting the topics that most interest you.
| Lecture Sections - Links to Images: | Links to Corresponding Audio Clips: |
| Introduction and History |  Introduction,
Europeans
Arrive, Independence |
| Mahavamsa | The
Mahavamsa |
| Irrigation and Artificial Lakes | Royally
Sponsored Artificial Lakes |
| Fishing Village at Galle | The
Seacoast by Galle |
| Anuradhapura and King Deva-Nampiya-Tissa | Deva-Nampiya-Tissa's
Conversion to Buddhism |
| Dagobas and Bodhi Shrines | Dutta
Gamunu's Victory and the Miri Savati Dagoba |
| King Walagam Bahu and the Dambulla Caves | Mara's
Demons and a Devout Monk |
| King Kassapa and Sigiriya | The
Citadel at Sigiriya |
| The Sigiriya Frescoes | Mary
B. Wheeler Describes the Frescoes |
| Parakrama Bahu I and Polonnaruwa | The
King's Palace at Polonnaruwa |
| Elephants | Wild
Elephants |
| Kandy, Temple of the Sacred Tooth |
|
| Kandyan Traditional Dance | Dance
Competitions |
| The Perahera Festival at Kandy- Preparations | The
Relic and the Perahera Festival,
Introducing
Raja the Elephant, Preparing
the Elephants for the Procession |
| The Perahera Festival at Kandy - Part II | The
Procession Begins, The
Paramuna Rala and the "Master of the King's Elephants" |
| The Perahera Festival at Kandy - Finale | Raja
Joins Carrying the Relic, Hindu
Devale Temples, The
10th Night, The
Festival Ends |