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were a definite feature of city planning in ancient Sri Lanka.Thus; we have the
names of several royal parks in the ancient capital of Anuradhapura before the
dawn of the Christian year. The Mahamegha Park was founded by king Mutasiva in
the third century BC. So were the Nandana Park & the Jotivana. All these
were however, donated by the pious king Devenampiyatiss to the community of
monks. These parks were located within the boundaries of Mahavihara. Therefore
the need to find an alternative place for a royal park was felt to be an urgent
matter & the place was found just outside the boundary of the great
monastery & to the south of it. The Vessagiriya inscription of Mahinda iv
in the tenth century gives the name of this park as Ranmasu Uyana meaning the
Gold Fish Park.
Today,
as it is the area covered by this park is about forty acres & the park
itself is a fine example of garden architecture in ancient Sri Lanka. This park
previously covered by the jungle was discovered at the beginning of this
century by H.C.P Bell in the year 1901 & conservation work commenced in
1940. The characteristics of this park are worth comparing with those ancient
parks of India as described in literary works.
The royal parks in ancient India had several
features. These were the bathing ponds & ponds for growing water lilies.
There were artificial mountains, caves, flower beds and also creeper pavilions
called latha mandapa. Also, there was the Kadaligrha- the planting arbors,
dola mandapa- the swing pavilions, citrasala- the art galleries, silapatta- the
rest houses etc. There was a seperatr park for the royal maidens called
pramadavana.
We have a historical reference to king Vasabha of
the second century who carried out a program me to beautify the capital city of
Anuradhapura by creating artificial ponds with swans in them. Unfortunately we
have no records in history as to who created this Mangul Maha Uyana, the great
royal park which is named the Gold Fish Park. As said above, this is the name
found in the vessagiriya inscription of Mahinda IV (956-972AC). It is mentioned
there in that the water of the Tisavawa that is let out through the royal
sluice must first be allowed to go into the Ranmasu Uyana, the royal park &
from there to kelageya ( kadaligrha), the plantain arbor and to uyanteya, the
park ponds and to mahanel- teya, the water lily ponds and finally to the
rice-field around the( isurumuni) vihara
It
is believed that Helloligama, the Candala village of Asokamala, the beloved of
Saliya, son of Dutthagamani was situated in the neighborhood. It was probably
between the Dakkhina Vihara and Issara Samana Vihara. According to legend it
was in this beautiful royal park the youthful prince first met his future bride
& princess to be Asokamala. If this is true, then we can safely say that
the Gold Fish Park was founded in the third century BC immediately after King
Devenampiyatiss donated the royal park to the community of Maha Sangha. But the
legend of Dutthagamani began to echoes in the second century BC suppressing
every other story.
The
rocks scattered all over the area were used by architects in designing the rock
garden. Two boulders lying in close proximity have been bridged with stone
slabs & a building constructed on them. There is nothing much left of this
building now. On either side of these boulders are three baths. The largest of
these is to the north & is 34 feet by 25-29 feet. On the western side is a
stone cave- like room measuring 7 feet by 6 feet with a seat in it. On the bed
rock above is a bas-relief of elephants sporting in a lotus pond. They are
beautifully sculptured.
Small
steps cut on the boulders of the southern side of this bath lead to a trough
scooped out the boulders. The holes round the trough indicate that wooden
pillars were set up in them. This trough may have been the place where the Gold
Fish were located.
The
bath at the southern end of the boulders comprised two parts forming one unit.
Beyond the bath on the side of the boulder is a chamber. This may be a dressing
room. The baths are square in plan, each measuring 20ft. at ground level with a
projection on the south for the flight of steps leading into it. The channel
system which fed these baths & emptied the water in it shows the skill of
the ancient irrigation engineers.
The
park also has smaller ponds. Once upon a time, these may have been filled with
flowers, fishes and aquatic birds. Mr. Paranavithana believed that this smaller
bath & the attached chamber together formed a dhara-grha a shower- bath.
There is another pond which is on a higher level that the main- bath at the
site, and measures 24 feet by 2 feet. In ancient times, this park must have
been a beautiful place with many flowering trees.
In one of the four caves at this site is incised
a diagram circumscribed by two concentric circle. The large of these has a
diameter of 6 feet. In the square area at the centre are seven concentric
circles. The remaining of the space within the circles is divided into
rectangles, each of which contains some symbols. We have not identified these.
Some call it a map of the universe and others call it a diagram or a mantra.
At the northern end of the park is a mooted
rectangular site on which are remains of three buildings. The eastern side of
this may have been a part of the ancient park. The channel system starting from
Tisaveva led water ti all the ponds and baths of the royal park. The open
channels flow around the natural and architectural contours exhibiting the
skills of ancient irrigational engineers. The channel which brought water to
the cistern to feed the baths, runs westward to a distance of 30feet, and then
turns northwards, parallel to the toe of the Tisaveva embankment. This embankment
of the Tusavava formed the western boundary of the park. Of the walls that
enclose it on the east and the south, the foundation is still traceable in the
gardens and the rice field and was surveyed to a distance of 1260 yards.
Mr.Paranavithana who carried out a major portion
of the conservation of this ancient and historic park, says that "of Sinhalese
architecture meant for secular purpose the most notable examples arr found in
this royal pleasure garden by the Tisavavs. Ha says that “in addition to the
remains of summer houses, pavilions and baths, we have an rxample for a shower
bath ( dhara grha) wherein were stone couches on which royal personages reclined
while jets played
