Moonstones of Ancient Sri Lanka

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Although no monument has been clearly discovered that belongs to the period before Arahath Mahinda’s visit to the island in the 3rd century BC, the chronicles record that the earliest form of Buddhist Architecture in Sri Lanka was the Mahiyanganaya and Girihadu Seya. According to chronicals they were built well before the parinirvana of Buddha in 543 BC.

It is obvious that any elevated terrace requires a flight of steps to reach the surface level above. The steps of ancient buildings were individual stones cut into shape. A pole or railing is required to hold and provide ease to the climb. Through the passage of time, this rail would have developed into an abacus now known as Korawakgala decorated with depictions of artistic stone carvings on it. This also provided stability to the stone steps and stopped any erosion. However, it seems that this stony rail structure did not contain any structural support itself to avoid a sudden collapse or a slide toward its front. A strong stony wedge deeply inserted into the ground would have solved this requirement which laid the foundation for more advanced and sophisticated guardstones to emerge. Another unique feature also grew along with this entrance architecture which is the moonstone that adorned every flight of steps before the steps.

So we find 3 main unique components in ancient Buddhist Architecture. They are

The moonstone (Sandakada Pahana) has been a permanent feature of the Buddhist buildings of all historical periods. This is a semi-circular piece of stone that stands at the foot of a flight of steps in most Buddhist buildings. The sculptural design, in its main features, consists of a half lotus in the center, surrounded by concentric bands of a row of geese, a foliated pattern, and a procession of animals.

Although the moonstone is generally semi-circular, sometimes you will come across square or other shaped moonstones. It is thought that the moonstones originated as blank square stones and later developed into a semi-circular shape. This again developed to include a multitude of carved decorations in later stages. But the moonstones in the monasteries where the forest-dwelling monks lived maintained the blank semi-circular shape.

The design of the moonstone has undergone many changes over time, But the moonstones show the highest level of creativity and the most highly ornate ones have generally been dated to the 8th-10th centuries, towards the latter half of the Anuradhapura era. Those reflecting the latest changes belong to the 18th century. Degaldoruwa provides the best of these latter (Devendra, 1965).

In most of the richer moonstones of the Anuradhapura Era, the outer edge is designed with a ring of flames, and below that is a ring filled with 4 types of animals – The elephant, the horse, the lion, and the bull chasing each other. Some moonstones show these beasts in their own semi-circular band. The next is a semi-circle of a creeper with a wavy stem with foliage (“liyawela”). Next is a line of swans with a twig of flowers and a leaf on their mouth. Next is again a floral pattern and at the center is a lotus with petals all around the semi-circle on the moonstone.

The earliest investigator to consider that these intrinsic carvings were meant to communicate some idea was H.C.P. Bell. In 1891, he, with his assistant, Mr. (later Dr.) D.. M. Wiekremasingha, excavated the Vijayarama monastery to the north of Anuradhapura where he discovered small bronze figures of the guardian deities of the quarters (dik-palas), buried under the floor of each of the four porches at the cardinal points of the edifice. Associated with the figures of the dik-palas were also found bronze figurines of animals the elephant on the east, the horse on the south, the lion on the north, and the bull on the west. These animals are not the vehicles of the respective guardians of the quarters Judging from the positions in which the effigies of the four animals were found at Vijayarama coupled with the detail of Buddhist cosmology according to which four rivers flow out of the Anotatta lake from the four directions, respectively, through mouths of these four animals, Mr. Bell concluded that they symbolized the quarters: elephant, east; horse, south; lion north and bull, west. Further, Bell inferred that the purpose of representing these animals on moonstones at the entrance to buildings was to indicate that these shrines were open to all Buddhist worshippers of the four quarters (Paranavitana, 1954).

In 1952, William E. Ward attempted to interpret the lotus which fills the most inner half of the moonstone. He describes each part of the moonstone from the outer ring but offers an interpretation only for the inner lotus form. He states that since the moonstone is the first step to a temple, monastery, or palace, it is plausible to consider that this “lotus” step becomes a part of a symbolical offering on oneself when entering a sacred place (Ward, 1952).

Both the above interpretation are only partial picking out certain components of the carving of a moonstone and Paranavithana provided a more detailed interpretation of all the semi-rings of the moonstone.

Professor Paranavithana believes that the outer ring of fire represents the never-ending life and the pains of passion associated with it. Moreover, it says to the devotee who approaches the shrine, that he too must realize this if he were to attain his goal, which is the same as that attained by the Buddha.

After the ring of fire, you find a band of animals (generally four), elephant, bull, lion, and horse. Paranavithana notes that the animals on the moonstones are not stationary but are moving in a procession chasing each other. He looks at the richest moonstones of Anuradhapura and notes that the band of animals starts with an elephant and ends with an elephant displaying a full circle of the four animals chasing each other. Thus the animals are following each other in a never-ending circle. This is Sansara (the circle of life and death) with its never-ending circle of birth, decay, disease, and death After the ring of fire, you find a band of animals (generally four), elephant, bull, lion, and horse. Paranavithana notes that the animals on the moonstones are not stationary but are moving in a procession chasing each other. He looks at the richest moonstones of Anuradhapura and notes that the band of animals starts with an elephant and ends with an elephant indicating a full circle of the four animals chasing each other. Thus the animals are following each other in a never-ending circle. This is Sansara (the circle of life and death) with its never-ending circle of birth, decay, disease, and death (“Chathurarya Sathya”). The idea of the Buddha having gone beyond and above the world surrounded by these perils is also conveyed. It’s not clear which animal represents each stage. If we may take the elephant to symbolize birth, the bull, decay; the lion, disease and the horse, death. But difference of opinion is possible as to whether decay or disease should follow birth. The last of the quartet, the horse, may indicate death.

The third band, from outside, of the elaborately decorated moonstones contains a handsome undulating scroll of leaves and flowers. This creeper represents the desires of man, which leads to the never-ending circle of existence.

Next is a motif of swans. In ancient India and Sri Lanka, it is said that the swan had a reputation for its ability to discriminate between good and bad; when given a mixture of mill and water, it would drink the milk, leaving the water behind. The swan indicates leaving the desires behind and moving to the next level.

In some moonstones (Nos. and g), the band of swans is separated from the lotus by a scroll, the flowers of which resemble water-lilies. This scroll is far less complicated in its design than the outer one, symbolizing therefore a state of existence in which the force of tanha has been kept under control. Perhaps this band is meant to represent existence in the heavenly worlds as per Paranavithana.

He uses the study of Ananda Coomaraswamy’s work to study the meaning of Lotus an icon in India and Sri Lanka and believes that the lotus represents the ultimate bliss of “Nibbana”.

However eminent scholar and historian D.T. Devendra in 1965 published an alternative interpretation of the moonstone design as a representation of the Anavatapta Vila (lake). According to him, the moonstone is just a floor mat, nothing more. This is the reason that the earliest moonstones were square. The slab, plain or decoratively beautified, was meant for the feet to be wiped on. That was its function and its homely use is borne out by the position given it in the plan. The use of the animals is purely decorative and conveys nothing of symbolism.

Another interesting fact is that the bull in the moonstones was apparently dropped in the Pollonnaruwa era (see Vatadage in Pollonnaruwa). This is thought to be the influence of Hindus. The bull is a sacred animal to the Hindus and trampling this symbol was probably disrespectful. With the omission of the bull, the lion too has been taken away from the moonstone as the lion is used to represent the Sinhala Race. With the omission of these two animals, the bull moved onto a pedestal on the side of the Balustrade and the lion is carved on the outer wall of the Balustrade itself.

Mahasen Maligaya - The Moonstone — Mahasen Maligaya – The Moonstone

Moonstones After the Polonnaruwa Era

In later stages after the Polonnaruwa Era, the moonstone started to appear in various shapes such as triangular shapes ( Sri Dalada Maligawa – Kandy) and full circular shapes ( Horana Raja Maha Viharaya). The carvings of the moonstones also became varied losing the standard symbols and patterns. If the patterns in the moonstone represented any symbolic religious meaning, this was totally forgotten after the Polonnaruwa Era. But none of these moonstones didn’t show the level of workmanship that of the Anuradhapura / Polonnaruwa Era craftsmen. Historians believe that this was due to the craftsmen of later kingdoms lacking the artistic skills of the older generations and they attempted to create variety and complex patterns in order to make their moonstones attractive to the eye.

moonstone at Polonnaruwa Watagage — moonstone at Polonnaruwa Watadage

References

Paranavitana, S., 1954. The Significance of Sinhalese ‘Moonstones’. Artibus Asiae, 17(3/4), pp.197-236.
Coomaraswamy, A., 1935. Elements of Buddhist Iconography. Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: Harvard University Press, p.59.
Ward, W., 1952. The Lotus Symbol: Its Meaning in Buddhist Art and Philosophy. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 11(2), p.145.
Devendra, D., 1965. Moonstone Motifs. The Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, New Series, Vol. 9(2), pp.221-228.