Page 295 - Proceedings book

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Introduction
The Kandyan genre of temple mural paintings, which developed in Sri

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Lanka's Central Province in the early 18
century, dispersed throughout Sri Lanka, showing a unique blend of local Buddhist

tradition. This tradition known as "Mahanuvara Sampradaya," "Udarata Sithuwam,"

or "Sinhale Art" expanded from the Upcountry region to areas such as the Lowcountry,
Sabaragamuwa, North West, and Uva provinces (Abeyawardana, 2004). The Kandy

era, which extended from the reign of King Wimaladharmasuriya in 1592 AD to the
reign of King Keerthi Sri Rajasingha in 1815 AD, was characterized by the

convergence of Eastern and Western influences, including Indian and
colonial forces like the Portuguese, Dutch, and British (Abeyawardana, 2004;

Ranchagoda, 2015)

This study focuses on the representation of 'Somana' textile (Chintz) depictions in the

Kathaluwa Purwaramaya temple and Thotagamuwa Thelwaththa temple which
showcases meticulous paintings that incorporate cross cultural attires; especially

Indian fabrics, and Western objects into traditional Sri Lankan Buddhist narratives.

(Abeyawardana, 2004; Ranchagoda, 2015). Further, the study aims to examine the
social and hierarchical expressions depicted by using somana textiles in particular

scenes.

Figure 01: Hand painted Indian cotton chintz fabric,1700-1800, India

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