Women in Sri Lankan Sculpture and Painting

Peripheral Female Goddesses associated with Buddhist worship

This text explains the functional roles that many peripheral gods and goddesses held in the Buddhist system of worship. Many peripheral gods and goddesses held positions of veneration or occupied certain functional roles within Buddhism. This phenomenon is noticed in the earliest Buddhist sculpture in India, at Bharhut, Sanchi and later at Amaravati. Supernatural beings provided models for Sri Lankan sculptors and they adorn these temples in both a protective and a devotional capacity.

Sirima Kiribamune

Period of study: 1986-1987

Version: 01/12/2012

Co-Author: Seneviratna, Harsha

Technical Officer: Wijesinghe, Lalith

Technical Assistant: Jayasundare, Subhashini

Photographer: Madanayake, I.S.

International Center for Ethnic Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation

American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies, Colombo

All rights reserved by International Center for Ethnic Studies, Sri Lanka.

Forms part of Photographic documentation of Women as depicted in early Sri Lankan sculpture and painting / Slide in present collection

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PDWESLSP.S.23

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