Identify the Statues of Goddess Tārā in Sri Lanka and Evaluate the Importance with Trade
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International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 9, Issue 9, September 2019 404 ISSN 2250-3153 Identify the statues of Goddess Tārā in Sri Lanka and Evaluate the Importance with Trade Dr. Nadeesha Gunawardana * Department, Institute Name ** Department, Institute Name, if any DOI: 10.29322/IJSRP.9.09.2019.p93XX http://dx.doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.9.09.2019.p93XX Abstract- The influence of the Mahāyāna encouraged the practice The kings of Pāla have patronaged the universities of Odanthapurī of worshipping Bōdhisattvas within the Sinhalese Buddhist and Vikramaśhilā. (Basnāyaka. H. T 2002:322). During this rituals. The feminine principle was not venerated in Buddhism period, many Buddhist sculptures, including the Bodhisattva and until the 4th C.E and Goddess Tārā probably entered Buddhism Tārā statues have been found in Bihār and Bengāl. Tārā is around the 6th C.E. The Śhakti of the Avalōkiteśvara is called as originally a Buddhist goddess because her distinct features mainly Tārā. The Mihitalē inscription of king Mihidu IV describes her as appeared in the Buddhist texts and sculptures (Shastri 1925:12). Minināl (Gunawardna, N 2017:185-190). The Sinhales Buddhist Some scholars however, claimed that the Buddhists borrowed the called her as Biso Bandara. Tisara Sandeśha treats her as Tārā conception of Brahmanical Tārā which is identical with the Bisō. She is known as the mother of liberation. She represents the goddess the Durgā (Dasgupta 1967: 117). virtues of Success in work and achievements. Two types of Tārā The name Tārā means carrying across, helping over a are identified as the ascetic and the princely types. As it is difficulty, rescuing and saviouress (Shin Jae Eun, 2010: 17). The mentioned in the Sādanamālā Prof. Chandrā Wickramagamagē Ârya Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa is probably one of the early Buddhist mentions that there are 108 type of Tārās. The date and the period texts containing an elaborative description of Tārā. The goddess of the beginning of worshiping of the Goddess Tārā are not yet Tārā is closely associated with Avalōkiteśvara in its initial stage found out. The worshiping of Avalōketiśvara had been introduced (Shin Jae Eun 2010: 17). As mentioned in the the Ârya to Sri Lanka during the 3rd C.E. The worshiping of Tārā got Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa the goddess Tārā is noted as the inherited as a consequence of the spread of the Mahāyāna personification of Karunā of Avalōkiteśvara and seated in the Buddhism from India. Tārā is considered as a Buddhist savior Paryankāsana, should have a side glance towards Avalōkiteśvara. Goddess. She is also popular in Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia and India. She holds a blue utpala, she wears all the ornaments and displays Most widely known Tārās are Green Tārā, White Tārā, Red Tārā, varada mudrā. Here complexion is noted here as golden and Balck Tārā, Yellow Tārā, and Blue Tārā. The statues of the having thin waist, she is neither too young nor too old (Ghosh Avalōkiteśvara Buddha’s as well as that of the Goddess Tārā’s 1980:11). In my introduction, I rather prefer to give a brief idea have been found in many of the ancient sea ports in Sri Lankā. The about the Tārā figures which we have come across from the Indian mariners and merchants who were the frequent visitors may have subcontinent. The earliest statue of Tārā is found at the north wall left these statues as souvenirs. The worshiping of the goddess Tārā of the main temple of Nālandā. It is found out that Tārā, standing became famous during the 9th and the 10th C.E. in Sri Lanka. on the left side of Avalōkiteśvara. Her figure is badly damaged but fortunately the stalk of the utpala which in her left hand is Index Terms- Statues, goddess Tara, famous, trade preserved. Another image of Tārā, belonging to the 6th century has been found in Nālandā. Although, the face and the bust of the I. INTRODUCTION INCLUDING BACKGROUND figure are damaged, the figure shows that she is seated in the t is well known that, unlike Brahmanism, Buddhism looked paryankāsana. It is well decorated with ornaments while holding I favourably upon trade activities (Bōpeārachchi. O. 2015: 162). an utpala in her left hand and exhibiting the varada mudrā with her The worship of female deities prevailed in ancient Sri Lanka right palm. (Amaratunga G & Guanawardana N 2019, vol iii, issue vi: 203). The Chinese monk Xuangzang noticed that the worship of Tārā had been widespread at Nālandā and its adjoining are in the first Information with reference to this cult can be seen in the th Mahāvamsa as early as the time of Jetthatissa II (328-337 C.E.). half of 7 century (Beal 1994(viii) :103). From the 6th century Mahayāna Buddhism believed that the Bōdhisatva Avalōkiteśvara onwards, it could be traced the nascent forms of Tārā had often was venerated as a protector of mariners. He also protected people appeared as the lotus, bearing the female image in the caves at Aurangābad. from the eight perils. The Mahāyāna Buddhist pantheon comprises th of a large number of Tara (the saviouress), the female counterparts An image from the cave at Ellōrā, dated from the late 6 of Bodhisattvas. Many are regarded as being associated with century may have shown an initial evolvement of the Tārā figure Avalōkiteśhvara (Prematilleke .L. 1995:46). The Pāla rulers in in Deccan. She stands on the right side of Avalōkiteśvara while India patronaged the Mahāyāna Buddhism. The Buddhist holding a lotus bud instead of an utpalā in her left hand. Moreover, University at Nālandhā had been developed by the kings of Pāla. her right hand does not exhibit the varada mudrā, but it merely http://dx.doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.9.09.2019.p93XX www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 9, Issue 9, September 2019 405 ISSN 2250-3153 shows the back of her right hand, whereas Avalōkiteśvara displays marble reliefs, found in Sri Lanka, depicting various Buddhist the varada mudrā. She was casted in the role of savior from the hems, were originally executed in Amarāvati – Nāgarjunakonda eight great perils shipwreck, conflagration, enraged elephant, and were brought down to the island by pious traders or pilgrims brigand, pouncing lion, serpent, prison and demon which were as offerings (Bopearachchi. O. 2015: 163). The caves, the earliest initially associated with Avalōkiteśvara (Mitra 1957:20). The dwellings of the Buddhist monks were offered by the mariners or reliefs of Astamahābhya Tārā and Avalōkiteśvara had mainly traders. An inscription, written in the Grantha script, containing been found in Deccan from the 5th to the 7th century. A life sized eleven lines, dated back to the 7th or 8th centuries, chiseled on a figure of Tārā, standing in a graceful posture on a double petal rock surface at Tiriyāya, 29 kilometers north of Trincomalēē, lotus, while holding the stalk of an utpala in her left hand and records an account of company of sea faring merchants named displaying the varada mudrā in her right hand are shown. The Trapassu and Bhalluka. The same Sanskrit inscription from sculptures of the great perils and the eight small images of Tārā, Triyāya refers that the merchants who endowed a Mahāyāna seated in the mediation posture are depicted on either side of Tārā. Buddhist shrine dedicated it to the Bodhisattva Avalōkiteśvara and From the 10th century onwards, the Astamahābhaya of Tārā often his consort Tārā. When the Department of Archaeology undertook appeared in the seated posture. An image of the black stone from an excavation at the site on 6th April 1938, the statues of the Sōmapāda in Deccan, dated back to the 12th century, is preserved Buddha, 11 of Bodhisattvas, three of Tārās and a casker stupa, in the Bangladesh National Museum, depicting the containing four dhāni Buddhas on the circumference were found, Astamahābhaya of Tārā with a narration. A typical image of Tārā buried under a paving stone of the ruined meditation hall is illustrated in the central figure. She is seated in lalitāsana on a (Bopearachchi. O. 2015: 163). The fact of Tiriyāya’s location, the lotus pedestal, holding half opened utpalā in her left hand, while right bank of the Yān oya, one of the main openings to the sea making the varada mudrā by her right hand. routes of the east, suggests that it may have accumulated souvenirs Many artifacts have been found during the 10th century in of mariners and merchants who were frequent visitors to the Magada, as well as in the 11th and the 12th centuries in Bengal. Buddhist shrine (Bōpeārachchi. O. 2015: 164). (Basnāyaka. H. T 2002:324). The compositions of these sculptural artifacts cannot be seen, Owing to the Muslim invasions of the areas of Bengal. Many of the Tārā statues, found in Sri Lanka were IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE RESEARCH, CARRIED OUT brought by the mariners and the merchants who frequently visited INCLUDING THE METHODOLOGY: Sri Lanka from India. The field survey and the literature review have been selected as the methodology of this research. The following historical sites located in Sri Lanka were visited. II. LITERATURE REVIEW 1. Port of Männār in the Männār district Most of the work, related to this area have been researched 2. Tiriyāya in the Trincomalēē district by Von Schroeder. Specially, he has focused his attention on the 3. Vijayārāmaya in the Anurādhapura district Buddhist sculptures of Sri Lanka. The books of Buddhist 4. Abhayagirya in the Anurādhapura district Sculptures of Sri Lanka (1990), The Golden age of sculpture in Sri 5. Buduruwagala in the Hambantota district Lanka (1991) remain the best contribution ever made in this field 6.