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Concept
Sandakada pahana
Summary
Sandakada Pahana, also known as Moonstone, is a unique feature of the architecture of ancient Sri Lanka. It is an elaborately carved semi-circular stone slab, usually placed at the bottom of staircases and entrances. First seen in the latter stage of the Anuradhapura period, the sandakada pahana evolved through the Polonnaruwa, Gampola and Kandyan period. According to historians, the sandakada pahana symbolises the cycle of Samsāra in Buddhism.
Known in Sinhalese as sandakada pahana, it is roughly translated into English as moonstone. The name is based on its shape and design. The ancient chronicle Mahavamsa and Pali chronicle such as the Samantapasadika refer to the sandakada pahana as patika.
The first sandakada pahanas were created during the latter stage of the ancient Anuradhapura Kingdom. They were only placed at entrances to Buddhist temples during this period.
The carvings of the semi circular stone slab were the same in every sandakada pahana. A half lotus was carved in the centre, which was enclosed by several concentric bands. The first band from the half lotus is decorated with a procession of swans, followed by a band with an intricate foliage design known as liyavel (Creeper) which represents desire. The third band has carvings of four animals; elephants, lions, horses, and bulls. These four animals follow each other in a procession symbolising the four noble truths (Chathurarya sathya) or the four stages in life: birth, old age, disease and death. The fourth and outermost band contains a carving of flames, usually interpreted as representing the never ending cycle of life and the pains of passion that the people are experiencing.
Square shaped or rectangular shaped moonstones have also been found dating from this period. The moonstone at Mirisawetiya monastery is an example for a rectangular moonstone. It is thought that the moonstones may have originated as square shaped stones, which later have developed into semicircular ones.
The design of the sandakada pahana of the Polonnaruwa period differs largely from that of the Anuradhapura period.
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