page_title: Rassagala
section_title: Artifacts
hierarchical_section_title: Rassagala / Artifacts
caption_attribution_description: English: Buddha statue in Rajagala
context_page_description: Rassagala, commonly Rajagala or Rajagalathenna, is a rugged and heavily forested mountain situated 1,038 feet above sea level, in a sparsely populated part of Eastern Province, Sri Lanka which has an important archaeological value. The Rajagala archaeological site is only second to the Mihintale monastery in Anuradhapura and it spreads over 1,600 acres. It consists more than 600 prehistoric ruins, monuments and artifacts, and nearly 100 of them are ancient stupas.
context_section_description: According to archaeological sources, the temple belongs to the most prosperous era in Sri Lankan history. Many dagobas, temples, ponds, shrine rooms and sandakadapahana(moonstone) have been discovered from the site. Amongst the ruins are two most important antiquities. The first of these is a large and beautifully made stone bowl. Such bowls were used for offering the first fruits of the harvest to the Buddha. Further in the jungle there is a large block of stone about 16 feet (5 m) long with a half-carved Buddha image. All the lines on the statue are straight and at right angles to each other and there are no details. Archaeologists believe that apprentice sculptors had carved the images leaving them to be perfected by master sculptors. However, the statue remains unfinished.
  There are some drawings on the stones and rocks, done with ash or chalk, which are believed to have been done by the adivasies (indigenous people). Archaeologists believe that the drawings probably belong to the prehistoric era although it's not a definite fact.
  At most of the entrances at the site, there is a korawakgala(a stone artifact located at the beginning of the handrail - stone balustrades), a muragala (guardstone) and a Sandakada pahana (moonstone) at the entrance of the site. The moonstone differs from those found at other places in Sri Lanka. A lotus motif spreads all over the moonstone, whereas in other moonstones, the carvings include tuskers, horses, swans and flames. Despite the cultural and archaeological value of the site, visitors have desecrated many artifacts by writing and drawing on them. Due to this most inscriptions have been obliterated.
  Even the guardstone found at the site is different from those found at other places. Here, the figure of a man holding a pot in one hand and keeping the other hand on his hip can be seen. Some other guardstones depict another small figure next to the main figure. Archaeologists believe it has to be the wife of the guard. There is another guardstone where the guard holds the pot in both hands. This is another feature which is different from other guardstones in the country.
caption: Half-carved Buddha image in Rajagala
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