Deva people of Sri Lanka
Encyclopedia
The Dewa are a mythical people of Sri Lanka
according to the Sanskrit epics.
According to the Mahavamsa
and Ramayana
they lived among the Naga
, Yakkha and Raskha.
They ousted their arch enemies the Raskha from Sri Lanka, with the help of Lord Vishnu.
They were then subsequently conquered by King Ravana
of the Raskha. After the Yakkhas had left to live in the mountains and remote dense forests, they met Gautama Buddha
who converted them to Buddhism.
According to the Mahavansa, Gautama Buddha
meet the Dewa at Mahiyangana
. Buddha gave Sumana Saman (A leader of the Dewa) a few hairs from his head, which were placed in a golden urn and enshrined in a sapphire stupa. A buddhist monk called Sarabhu is then said to have deposited Buddha's ashes in this Stupa. This stupa is now called the "Mahiyangana Stupa" and can be found in Anuradhapura
museum.
Sumana Saman
was a leader of the Dewa who came from the central hills of Sri Lanka. Some Sri Lankan Buddhists worship him as deity. He is said to be the guardian of Adam's peak
.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
according to the Sanskrit epics.
According to the Mahavamsa
Mahavamsa
The Mahavamsa is a historical poem written in the Pali language, of the kings of Sri Lanka...
and Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
they lived among the Naga
Naga people of Sri Lanka
The Nāka people were the aboriginal inhabitants of Sri Lanka who ruled Nagadeepa or Nāka Nadu - the coastal districts of mostly Western and Northern Ceylon, particularly the Jaffna peninsula from the 6th century BCE to 3rd century CE...
, Yakkha and Raskha.
They ousted their arch enemies the Raskha from Sri Lanka, with the help of Lord Vishnu.
They were then subsequently conquered by King Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
of the Raskha. After the Yakkhas had left to live in the mountains and remote dense forests, they met Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
who converted them to Buddhism.
According to the Mahavansa, Gautama Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
meet the Dewa at Mahiyangana
Mahiyangana
Mahiyangana is a town in Badulla District, Uva Province of Sri Lanka. Some orthodox Sri Lankan Buddhists believe that Lord Gautam Buddha himself traveled from India to visit Sri Lanka and arrived at Mahiyangana to stop a war between the race of Yakshas and the race of Nagas...
. Buddha gave Sumana Saman (A leader of the Dewa) a few hairs from his head, which were placed in a golden urn and enshrined in a sapphire stupa. A buddhist monk called Sarabhu is then said to have deposited Buddha's ashes in this Stupa. This stupa is now called the "Mahiyangana Stupa" and can be found in Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...
museum.
Sumana Saman
Saman (deity)
Saman is a deity, subject to local and indigenous belief and worship in Sri Lanka. The name Saman means "the rising morning sun"...
was a leader of the Dewa who came from the central hills of Sri Lanka. Some Sri Lankan Buddhists worship him as deity. He is said to be the guardian of Adam's peak
Adam's Peak
Sri Pada , is a tall conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka...
.