The Legend of King Pandukabhaya
'ABÁ : The Prince of Life delivered with the Pledge of Death' is the upcoming high-budget Sinhalese Film directed by Jackson Anthony, based on the historical legend of King Pandukabhaya which took place in Sri Lanka more than 2300 years ago.
The title “Aba” is derived from “Pandu Aba”, another name for the title character. This famous Sinhalese legend is extravagantly portrayed in ‘Mahavamsa’ (the most comprehensive chronicle of the history of Sri Lanka) written during the 5th Cent. AD by Mahanama thero. Although it has been difficult to specify the time period in which King Pandukabhaya ruled, it can be inferred from the chronicles that he ruled over 2300 years back. A brief description of the legend as related in Mahavamsa is given below.
After Prince Vijaya, an outcast of India, who came ashore in Sri Lanka in 543 B.C. and settled in the island, died, Panduvasudeva became the king. Bhaddakachchana, a Shakya Princess, was brought down from India as his queen consort. At length, the monarchs had ten sons and one daughter. The daughter was called Ummada Chitra because of her exceeding beauty. The soothsayers foretold that the son of Princess Chitra would destroy his uncles and wrest the kingdom for himself. Therefore, the brothers decided to kill their sister but the elder brother Abhaya persuaded them to keep her in a chamber built upon a single tower (called ‘Ektamgeya’) which was accessible only through a door from the king’s bedchamber. In the meantime Bhaddakachchana’s brothers established settlements around the island. Dighagamini, the son of Digayu, one of these brothers was appointed to serve the court of the king at Upatissagama. Dighagamini heard of Chitra and fell in love with her. By means of a stratagem he visited the chamber and Chitra conceived a child. Hearing this, the uncles decided to kill the child if he were to be male but Chitra exchanged babies with another woman whose child was a girl. Afterwards Chitra’s son, Pandukabhaya, grew up in a village called Doramandalawa (Dwaramandala). When he was seven, the uncles discovered the boy’s existence and started to kill all the boys of his age. Somehow he escaped death and later on he grew up under the tutelage of a Brahmin named Pandula. Having attained youth he killed all the uncles except Abhaya and became the first King of Anuradhapura marrying Swarnapali and ruled for 70 years.
Website: www.aba.lk
'ABÁ : The Prince of Life delivered with the Pledge of Death' is the upcoming high-budget Sinhalese Film directed by Jackson Anthony, based on the historical legend of King Pandukabhaya which took place in Sri Lanka more than 2300 years ago.
The title “Aba” is derived from “Pandu Aba”, another name for the title character. This famous Sinhalese legend is extravagantly portrayed in ‘Mahavamsa’ (the most comprehensive chronicle of the history of Sri Lanka) written during the 5th Cent. AD by Mahanama thero. Although it has been difficult to specify the time period in which King Pandukabhaya ruled, it can be inferred from the chronicles that he ruled over 2300 years back. A brief description of the legend as related in Mahavamsa is given below.
After Prince Vijaya, an outcast of India, who came ashore in Sri Lanka in 543 B.C. and settled in the island, died, Panduvasudeva became the king. Bhaddakachchana, a Shakya Princess, was brought down from India as his queen consort. At length, the monarchs had ten sons and one daughter. The daughter was called Ummada Chitra because of her exceeding beauty. The soothsayers foretold that the son of Princess Chitra would destroy his uncles and wrest the kingdom for himself. Therefore, the brothers decided to kill their sister but the elder brother Abhaya persuaded them to keep her in a chamber built upon a single tower (called ‘Ektamgeya’) which was accessible only through a door from the king’s bedchamber. In the meantime Bhaddakachchana’s brothers established settlements around the island. Dighagamini, the son of Digayu, one of these brothers was appointed to serve the court of the king at Upatissagama. Dighagamini heard of Chitra and fell in love with her. By means of a stratagem he visited the chamber and Chitra conceived a child. Hearing this, the uncles decided to kill the child if he were to be male but Chitra exchanged babies with another woman whose child was a girl. Afterwards Chitra’s son, Pandukabhaya, grew up in a village called Doramandalawa (Dwaramandala). When he was seven, the uncles discovered the boy’s existence and started to kill all the boys of his age. Somehow he escaped death and later on he grew up under the tutelage of a Brahmin named Pandula. Having attained youth he killed all the uncles except Abhaya and became the first King of Anuradhapura marrying Swarnapali and ruled for 70 years./
Website: www.aba.lk
'ABÁ : The Prince of Life delivered with the Pledge of Death' is the upcoming high-budget Sinhalese Film directed by Jackson Anthony, based on the historical legend of King Pandukabhaya which took place in Sri Lanka more than 2300 years ago.
The title “Aba” is derived from “Pandu Aba”, another name for the title character. This famous Sinhalese legend is extravagantly portrayed in ‘Mahavamsa’ (the most comprehensive chronicle of the history of Sri Lanka) written during the 5th Cent. AD by Mahanama thero. Although it has been difficult to specify the time period in which King Pandukabhaya ruled, it can be inferred from the chronicles that he ruled over 2300 years back. A brief description of the legend as related in Mahavamsa is given below.
After Prince Vijaya, an outcast of India, who came ashore in Sri Lanka in 543 B.C. and settled in the island, died, Panduvasudeva became the king. Bhaddakachchana, a Shakya Princess, was brought down from India as his queen consort. At length, the monarchs had ten sons and one daughter. The daughter was called Ummada Chitra because of her exceeding beauty. The soothsayers foretold that the son of Princess Chitra would destroy his uncles and wrest the kingdom for himself. Therefore, the brothers decided to kill their sister but the elder brother Abhaya persuaded them to keep her in a chamber built upon a single tower (called ‘Ektamgeya’) which was accessible only through a door from the king’s bedchamber. In the meantime Bhaddakachchana’s brothers established settlements around the island. Dighagamini, the son of Digayu, one of these brothers was appointed to serve the court of the king at Upatissagama. Dighagamini heard of Chitra and fell in love with her. By means of a stratagem he visited the chamber and Chitra conceived a child. Hearing this, the uncles decided to kill the child if he were to be male but Chitra exchanged babies with another woman whose child was a girl. Afterwards Chitra’s son, Pandukabhaya, grew up in a village called Doramandalawa (Dwaramandala). When he was seven, the uncles discovered the boy’s existence and started to kill all the boys of his age. Somehow he escaped death and later on he grew up under the tutelage of a Brahmin named Pandula. Having attained youth he killed all the uncles except Abhaya and became the first King of Anuradhapura marrying Swarnapali and ruled for 70 years.
Website: www.aba.lk
'ABÁ : The Prince of Life delivered with the Pledge of Death' is the upcoming high-budget Sinhalese Film directed by Jackson Anthony, based on the historical legend of King Pandukabhaya which took place in Sri Lanka more than 2300 years ago.
The title “Aba” is derived from “Pandu Aba”, another name for the title character. This famous Sinhalese legend is extravagantly portrayed in ‘Mahavamsa’ (the most comprehensive chronicle of the history of Sri Lanka) written during the 5th Cent. AD by Mahanama thero. Although it has been difficult to specify the time period in which King Pandukabhaya ruled, it can be inferred from the chronicles that he ruled over 2300 years back. A brief description of the legend as related in Mahavamsa is given below.
After Prince Vijaya, an outcast of India, who came ashore in Sri Lanka in 543 B.C. and settled in the island, died, Panduvasudeva became the king. Bhaddakachchana, a Shakya Princess, was brought down from India as his queen consort. At length, the monarchs had ten sons and one daughter. The daughter was called Ummada Chitra because of her exceeding beauty. The soothsayers foretold that the son of Princess Chitra would destroy his uncles and wrest the kingdom for himself. Therefore, the brothers decided to kill their sister but the elder brother Abhaya persuaded them to keep her in a chamber built upon a single tower (called ‘Ektamgeya’) which was accessible only through a door from the king’s bedchamber. In the meantime Bhaddakachchana’s brothers established settlements around the island. Dighagamini, the son of Digayu, one of these brothers was appointed to serve the court of the king at Upatissagama. Dighagamini heard of Chitra and fell in love with her. By means of a stratagem he visited the chamber and Chitra conceived a child. Hearing this, the uncles decided to kill the child if he were to be male but Chitra exchanged babies with another woman whose child was a girl. Afterwards Chitra’s son, Pandukabhaya, grew up in a village called Doramandalawa (Dwaramandala). When he was seven, the uncles discovered the boy’s existence and started to kill all the boys of his age. Somehow he escaped death and later on he grew up under the tutelage of a Brahmin named Pandula. Having attained youth he killed all the uncles except Abhaya and became the first King of Anuradhapura marrying Swarnapali and ruled for 70 years./
Website: www.aba.lk
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