View source for Upulvan

{{Short description|Sri Lankan Buddhist version of Hindu god Vishnu}}
[[File:Vishnu idol in Seema Malaka.jpg|thumb|Statue Upulvan-[[Vishnu]], [[Seema Malaka]], [[Sri Lanka]]]]
'''Upulvan''' ({{langx|si|උපුල්වන් ‍දෙවියෝ}}, {{langx|pi|Uppalavanna}}; [[Sanskrit]]: Utpalavarna), also known as [[Vishnu]] (''Vishnu deviyo'') is a guardian deity (Pali: Khettapala; Sanskrit: Kshetrapala) of [[Sri Lanka]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Professor Dhammavihari Thera|url=http://www.sobhana.net/contact/english/dhammavihari/dv088.doc|title=Upulvan or Uppalavaṇṇa - the Guardian Deity of Sri Lanka|access-date=2010-06-25|archive-date=2022-04-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416035648/http://www.sobhana.net/contact/english/dhammavihari/dv088.doc|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sri Lankan Buddhists believe him also as a protector of the [[Buddhism in Sri Lanka|Buddhism]] in the country. The name Upulvan depicts his body colour which means "blue water lily coloured". The cult of Upulvan started during the medieval period in Sri Lanka.<ref name="med">{{cite web|last=Pieris|first=Kamalika|url=http://www.island.lk/2007/02/10/satmag3.html| title=Buddhist practices in ancient and medieval Sri Lanka|access-date=2010-06-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lankabhumi.org/dondra.htm|title=Temples of Devi Nuwara show Buddhist-Hindu connections|access-date=2010-06-25}}</ref> According to the local lore and legend, Upulvan is the god whom the [[Buddha]] entrusted with the guardianship of Sri Lanka and Buddha [[Śāsana]] of the country.<ref name="Amzlnk">{{cite web | url=http://amazinglanka.com/wp/devinuwara-devale/ | title=Devinuwara Upulvan (Vishnu) Devale | publisher=Amazing Lanka | access-date=10 December 2014}}</ref>
==Historical accounts and legends==
[[File:Lankathilaka Viharaya 12.JPG|160px|thumb|right|Upulvan-Vishnu worshipped as a guardian deity in [[Lankatilaka Vihara]].]]
According to the Sri Lankan chronicles [[Dipavamsa]] and [[Mahavamsa]], north Indian [[prince Vijaya]] and his seven hundred followers were blessed by god Upulvan upon their arrival to Sri Lanka in 543 BC.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LspBFqePhpwC | title=Re-exploring the Links: History and Constructed Histories Between Portugal and Sri Lanka | author=Flores, Jorge Manuel | year=2007 | pages=153| isbn=9783447054904 }}</ref> The second appearance of god Upulvan in literary sources occurs in the 7th and 8th centuries and again after a gap of several centuries his name reappears in 13th and 14th centuries as the god par excellence. Though god Upulvan is mentioned in Mahavamsa as the guardian deity of Sri Lanka, the first reference to the worship of Upulvan is dated to the 13th century.<ref name=med/><ref name=National>[https://books.google.com/books?id=dByI_qil26YC&q=upuluvan A history of Sri Lanka] by K. M. De Silva, pp.51-4 & 92-3 {{ISBN|0144000156}}</ref>
[[Kingdom of Kotte|Kotte]] era poem ''Panditha Perakumba Siritha'' describes a story of how god Upulvan transfigured a log of a kihiri tree and floated it to the sea beach of Devinuwara kingdom in Southern Sri Lanka. On the night prior to the incident, King [[Dappula I of Anuradhapura|Dappula I]] (661-664) who was the reigning monarch, had a dream about the arrival of this transfigured kihiri log. Accordingly, the king and his people rushed to the beach and recovered the kihiri log. They carved the god's figure out of the kihiri log, and brought it ceremonially for enshrinement.<ref name="Lanka">{{cite news | url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2010/08/01/spe10.asp | title=Lanka's ancient glory | date=1 August 2010 | agency=Lake House. | access-date=10 December 2014 | author=Fernandao, Mihindukulasuriya Susantha}}</ref> The poem further states that the wood of the said kihiri log was also used as a medicine for treating various diseases.
The ''Paravi Sandesaya'', written by [[Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thera]] in the 15th century mentions the name of the consort of god Upulvan as Sandavan Biso, and they have a son named Dhanu also called Janak.<ref name="paravi">{{cite news | url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2004/08/18/artscop12.html | title=God Vishnu and his ten 'Avatars' | date=18 August 2004 | access-date=10 December 2014 | pages=Aryadasa Ratnasinghe}}</ref>
In the medieval period local deities, namely Upulvan, [[Kataragama deviyo|Katharagama]], [[Saman (deity)|Saman]] and [[Vibhisana]] came to be worshiped as protectors of the island. The 14th century inscription of King [[Bhuvanaikabahu IV of Gampola|Buvanekabahu IV]] is the first inscription that refers to the guardian deities of Sri Lanka.<ref name=med/> Within the same century [[Nissanka Alagakkonara]] erected four shrines for the guardian deities when he was constructing the fortress of [[Kingdom of Kotte|Kotte]]. God Upulvan seems to have been the most popular of these guardian gods and his main temple was located at Devinuwara (Dewundara) in Matara. ''Dewundara Devala Sannasa'' speaks of land dedicated to the temple by the ancient kings of Sri Lanka. A second temple for god Upulvan was erected by [[Parakramabahu IV of Dambadeniya|King Parakkramabahu IV]] at Aluthnuwara, Satara Korale in [[Kegalle District]]. Evidence reveals that land and other endowments were made to this temple up to the beginning of 17th century.<ref name=med/>
==Identification with Vishnu==
At the end of the 15th century, god Upulvan was identified with god Vishnu of Hinduism, which could be attributed to the resemblance of the two deities and to the Hindu or influence that prevailed during the times of [[Kotte Kingdom]]. Thereafter images of Upulvan as Vishnu were set besides the images of Buddha in Buddhist temples throughout the country.<ref name=med/> After the identity of god Upulvan was merged with god Vishnu, the use of name Upulvan slowly disappeared and the worship of Upulvan as Vishnu was spread throughout Sri Lanka. The deity was important for the [[Abhisheka]] [[coronation]] [[Ritual|rite]].<ref name=Holt>[https://books.google.com/books?id=HYUqsYbLP6QC The Buddhist Vishnu: Religious Transformation, Politics, and Culture], By John C. Holt, pp. 5, 13-14, 67-87, 97-100, 343, 413 (Columbia University Press) {{ISBN|978-0231133234}}</ref><ref name="විශ්ණු">[http://amazinglanka.com/wp/kandy-vishnu/ Vishnu Devalya of Kandy Kingdom – මහනුවර විශ්ණු දේවාලය], Amazing Lanka Accessed 07-09-16</ref><ref name=ferment>Perpetual ferment : popular revolts in Sri Lanka in the 18th and 19th centuries, Kumari Jayawardena pp.17,128 (SSA)</ref>
Today it is commonly accepted both Upulvan and Vishnu as identical deities in Sri Lanka. But there exists different views about this identification and according to some historians and sources, the two deities are not identical.<ref name="paravi"/> There are also sources that equate god Upulvan to the [[Vedic]] god [[Varuna]], the protector and the lord of oceans, and in that capacity he is assumed as a protector of the island of Sri Lanka as well as [[Avalokiteśvara]] and [[Tara (Devi)|Tara]].<ref name=National/><ref name=Holt/><ref name="Ports">{{cite web | url=http://www.infolanka.com/org/srilanka/hist/hist12.html | title=Ports in ancient Sri Lanka | publisher=InfoLanka | author=Prof. W. I. Siriweera | access-date=24 August 2020}}</ref>
==Major temples==
[[File:Devinuwara Sri Vishnu Maha Devalaya in Sri Lanka.jpg|thumb|220px|Uthpalawarna Sri Vishnu Devalaya in Devinuwara, Matara, Sri Lanka]]
An ancient temple dedicated to god Upulvan was situated at [[Dondra Head|Devinuwara]] in [[Matara, Sri Lanka|Matara]], the southernmost area of the country.
According to the recorded history, the Devinuwara multi-religious complex, the Buddhist temple and the Upulvan devale (shrine) was started by King [[Dappula I of Anuradhapura|Dappula I]] (Dappula-sen) in the 7th century AD.<ref name=Holt/> The origin of the [[Esala Mangallaya|Esala festival]] of Devinuwara goes back to the times of King [[Parakramabahu II of Dambadeniya|Parakramabahu II]] who had reconstructed the dilapidated temples during his reign.<ref name="Amzlnk"/>  Kings [[Parakramabahu VI]], [[Vijayabahu VII]] and [[Bhuvanekabahu VII of Kotte]] made further grants to the temple.<ref name="autogenerated416">Arnold Wright. ''Twentieth century impressions of Ceylon: its history, people, commerce '' p. 416</ref><ref>C. S. Navaratnam. (1964) ''A short history of Hinduism in Ceylon'' p. 52</ref> The sacred shrine is mentioned in the ''Kokila Sandesaya'' ("Message carried by Kokila bird") written in the 15th century with reference to the exploits of [[Sapumal Kumaraya]].<ref>[https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2009/05/24/imp06.asp The fifteenth century route to Yapa Patuna], Padma EDIRISINGHE (Sunday Observer) 15 October 2015</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lankalibrary.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=1631|title= Portuguese encounter with King of Kotte in 1517|access-date=15 October 2015 |work=Denis N. Fernando}}</ref> The temple complex was visited by [[Ibn Battuta]] in the 14th century and [[Zheng He]] in the 15th century.<ref>Battuta Ibn. ''Travels in Asia and Africa, 1325–1354''. p. 260.</ref><ref>Robert D. Kaplan. (2010) ''Monsoon: The Indian Ocean and the Future of American Power''</ref> In 1587, a Portuguese army led by Thome de [[House of Sousa|Sousa]] Arronches  attacked the sacred city and destroyed the temples to distract king [[Rajasinha I of Sitawaka|Rajasinha I]]'s [[siege]] of [[Colombo]].<ref name=Holt/><ref>[http://www.art-and-archaeology.com/lanka/dondra/dn04.html Ancient Mandapa Pillars], Art and archaeology.com Retrieved 15 October 2015</ref><ref>[http://infolanka.com/org/srilanka/people/81.htm 112th death anniversary of C. H. de Soysa – philanthropist unequalled], Dr. K. N. M. D. Cooray [[Daily News (Sri Lanka)]] Retrieved 15 October 2015</ref> King [[Rajasinha II of Kandy|Rajasinghe II]] managed to recapture Matara and re-built the shrine to god Vishnu,<ref name="Amzlnk"/> which is presently known as Uthpalawarna Sri Vishnu Devalaya.
Today Vishnu is venerated by a large number of devotees in Sri Lanka, and is specially revered as the custodian of the island. There are many temples and shrines which are dedicated to the god in many parts of Sri Lanka. Annual processions (''peraheras'') are held to pay homage to the god in most of these temples. Other than the main temple and shrine in [[Dondra Head|Devi Nuwara]] some of the famous Vishnu shrines and temples (''devalas & kovils'') in Sri Lanka are located in [[Kandy]], [[Vallipuram]], [[Aluthgama]] ([[Kande Viharaya]]) and [[Dehiwala]].
The chief lay custodian of each shrine is known as the Basnayaka Nilame.
== References==
{{reflist|2}}
==Further reading==
* Perera, A.D.T.E. 1971. [http://dl.sjp.ac.lk/dspace/bitstream/123456789/311/1/Upulvan,%20the%20Patron%20God%20of%20the%20Sinhalese.pdf Upulvan, the Patron God of Sinhalese] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044147/http://dl.sjp.ac.lk/dspace/bitstream/123456789/311/1/Upulvan,%20the%20Patron%20God%20of%20the%20Sinhalese.pdf |date=2016-03-04 }}. Encyclopedia of Buddhism, Ceylon
* Paranavitana, Senarat. 1953. The Shrine of Upulvan at Devundara.  Ceylon Government, Archaeological Department.
* Holt, John C.  2005.  The Buddhist Vishnu: Religious Transformation, Politics, and Culture.  New York: Columbia University Press.
==External links==
*[http://www.devinuwara.org/ Official web site of Devinuwara] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430113417/http://devinuwara.org/ |date=2009-04-30 }}
[[Category:Sinhalese Buddhist deities]]
[[Category:Forms of Vishnu]]