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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mr PERERA" data-source="post: 6482268" data-attributes="member: 176031">Reign and  Construction WorkAside from his many construction projects Dutugemunu's reign is  memorable for his estrangement from his son, Saliya or Salirajakumara.  The Prince fell in love with a girl called Agokamaladevi or Asokamala;  unfortunately for all concerned she was of the Scavenger caste, one of  the lowest castes in Sinhalese society. Saliya refused to give her up  and rejected the throne. Though the Mahavamsa mentions no reconciliation, folk stories have the young couple  eventually restored to the king's good graces. The king's reign also saw extensive contact between Sri Lanka and  traders from the west, including Arabs, Persians, and possibly Romans Following his consolidation of his position Dutugemunu began a series  of huge construction projects, many of which still survive in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anuradhapura" target="_blank">Anuradhapura</a>  today. As with nearly everything in Dutugemunu's life, each foundation  comes with its own legend, many of which reveal the preoccupations and  inclinations of ancient Sinhalese society. The first foundation mentioned in the Mahavamsa is the Maricavatti  vihara, the modern <a href="http://www.mirisawetiya.org/index.htm" target="_blank">Mirisavetiya</a>. Legend has it  that travelling to the shore of the Tank of Tissa with the 'women of the  harem' for a water-festival, Dutugemunu planted his spear (which  contained a sacred relic) in the soft ground. When preparing to return  to the palace, he found that neither he, nor anyone in his retinue,  could pull it out. Taking this as a sign he ordered the construction of a  stupa over the spear. Dutugemunu also ordered the construction of the Lohapasada, or Brazen  Palace, a nine-story chapter house for monks, which derived its name  from its bright copper-tiled roof. Again, legend has it that the design  for the palace was based on a building seen in one of the heavens by a  group of monks, who drew the design with 'red arsenic on linen' and  dispatched it to the king. Perhaps his most famous creation was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruwanweliseya" target="_blank">Ruwanweliseya</a>, also known as the Great Stupa or  and Swarnamalee Chetiya, to house the begging bowl of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha" target="_blank">Buddha</a>. The construction was started on the full moon day of  the month of Vesak (traditionally the date of the birth, enlightenment,  and passing away of the Buddha) with the creation of a foundation of  crushed rock. To hammer the stones into place elephants were used with  their feet bound in leather. Dutugemunu is said to have overseen  the work personally, being present at the construction of the relic  chamber and the interring of the bowl itself. The dedication of a stupa  is described in Chap. 29 of the Mahavamsa, which lists the visit of  delegations from various parts of India, as well as a delegation of  30,000 monks from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria_of_the_Caucasus" target="_blank">Alexandria of the  Caucasus</a>, led by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indo-Greek" target="_blank">Indo-Greek</a> monk <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahadharmaraksita" target="_blank">Mahadharmaraksita</a>.Mirisawatiya<img src="http://www.mirisawetiya.org/images/fromadistance.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><img src="http://www.mirisawetiya.org/images/dagabacloseup1.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><img src="http://www.mirisawetiya.org/images/monkand%20dagaoba.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><img src="http://www.mirisawetiya.org/images/vahalkadanewweb1.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><img src="http://www.mirisawetiya.org/images/vahalkadside.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><img src="http://www.mirisawetiya.org/images/view1.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /><img src="http://www.mirisawetiya.org/images/view2.JPG" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></blockquote>

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