4/5 Anuradha D. 3 years ago on Google
This
building
made
was
1000
years
ago.
This
was
a
period
of
great
turmoil
on
the
island
with
South
Indian
kings
establishing
themselves
in
the
wake
of
the
decline
of
the
Sinhalese
monarchy.
It
is
possible
that
Nalanda
Gedige
was
a
bold
attempt
at
a
fusion
of
Sinhalese
cultures.[citation
needed]
History
of
Nalanda
Gedige
as
an
archaeological
site
began
in
1893,
when,
according
to
then
Archaeological
Commissioner,
H.
C.
P.
Bell,
"land
was
acquired
round
this
little-known
and
solitary
shrine
of
granite
construction,
popularly
styled
gedige.
It
is
situated
on
raised
ground
in
paddy
fields,
picturesquely
surrounded
by
low
hills
and
wooded
hamlets.
In
1911
a
small
gang
was
detached
from
the
labor
force
at
Sigiriya
to
thoroughly
root
out
all
the
jungle
growth
upon
and
around
the
ruin
besides
cutting
still
further
back
the
earth
silt
hiding
the
bold
stylites
upon
which
the
fane
stands.
Very
special
importance
attaches
to
this
unique
temple,
as
it
is
the
sole
example
yet
discovered
in
Ceylon
of
composite
styles
of
architecture
judiciously
blended
to
form
a
delightfully
homogeneous
edifice."[4]
Bell
had
significant
plans
for
the
restoration
of
the
Nalanda
Gedige
-
involving
its
dismantlement
and
relocation
-
as
is
apparent
from
his
report
of
1912:
"It
will
be
necessary
to
gradually
extend
the
open
space
to
the
north
and
east
of
the
gedige
ruin,
so
far
as
practicable,
in
reasonable
expectation
of
discovering
other
buried
members
of
the
structure,
before
it
is
partially
dismantled
with
a
view
to
correct
reconstruction.
For
this
fine
edifice
cannot
be
allowed
to
remain
in
its
present
semi-deceptive
elevation,
when
all
stones
on
the
ground
have
been
recovered
from
the
earth."[4]
However,
nothing
transpired
until
much
later,
in
the
1980s,
when
the
shrine
was
threatened
with
inundation
by
the
waters
of
the
newly
created
Bowatenne
Tank.
The
opportunity
was
taken
to
dismantle
the
ruin
and
rebuild
it
on
the
bund(retaining
wall)
of
the
tank,
high
above
the
waters.
It
stands
now
reconstructed
beside
the
tank,
and
is
approached
by
a
flower-edged
causeway
with
a
magnificent
backdrop
of
tree-clad
hills.[4]
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