{"id":101954,"date":"2020-05-05T16:11:12","date_gmt":"2020-05-05T23:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=101954"},"modified":"2020-05-05T16:11:12","modified_gmt":"2020-05-05T23:11:12","slug":"photographic-exhibition-and-documentary-film-on-paintings-that-adorn-sri-lankas-buddhist-shrines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/05\/05\/photographic-exhibition-and-documentary-film-on-paintings-that-adorn-sri-lankas-buddhist-shrines\/","title":{"rendered":"Photographic Exhibition and Documentary Film on Paintings that Adorn Sri Lanka\u2019s Buddhist Shrines"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

This was a\nunique cultural event held at the University of Toronto\u2019s prestigious Robarts\nLibrary, from May 21 to 30, 2005, to mark firstly, Vesak\u201d, the most holy and venerated\ntime of the year for Buddhists, and secondly, in commemoration of 100 years of\nBuddhism in Canada. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vesak full-moon day, which usually falls in May, has threefold significance for Buddhists, namely, the birth of Prince Siddhartha the Buddha to be, his attainment of enlightenment and his final passing away referred to in Buddhism as the Buddha\u2019s \u2018mahaparinibbana\u2019. For people of Sri Lanka, Vesak also marks the beginning of the Buddhist New Year and the arrival in Sri Lanka of Prince Vijaya, the founder of the island\u2019s mainstream Sinhala community. Vesak has been the primary national festival of Sri Lanka since the 3rd<\/sup> century BCE, for almost 2300 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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THE EXHIBITION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The highlight of this unique cultural event\nheld in Canada for was the Photographic Exhibition and Documentary Film show on\nSri Lanka\u2019s rich Heritage of Buddhist Paintings. This public event was facilitated\nby the University of Toronto, and was organized and presented by Dr. Daya\nHewapathirane and a team of enthusiastic \nBuddhist youth volunteers from the University of Toronto, York\nUniversity and Ryerson University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition highlighted the richness of Sri Lanka\u2019s visual arts inspired by Buddhism and the Buddhist tradition. It displayed over 300 enlarged photographs of spectacular Buddhist works of art found in a wide assortment of Buddhist shrines located across Sri Lanka, thereby providing a comprehensive perspective of the island\u2019s rich heritage of Buddhist art, spanning over a period that exceeds 2200 years. Exhibits were displayed chronologically, in the form of a visual pilgrimage to a wide assortment of Buddhist sites of Sri Lanka, including its World Heritage Sites\u201d containing exquisite ancient Buddhist works of art. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In parallel with the Exhibition was the\nscreening in the University of Toronto theatre, of a  Documentary Film titled Arts of the Ancient\nWorld: Heritage of Buddhist Paintings of Sri Lanka\u201d, produced by Dr. Daya\nHewapathirane,  with the outstanding Art\nDirection of Arjuna Samarakoon  of\nTrillion Design Inc. of Toronto.  For\nmany who saw it, this film was an exciting experience, eliciting vividly the\nrichness of imagination, creativity, aesthetic sense and inspiration of Sri\nLankan artists.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This event was planned as a place where\npeople could see, appreciate and learn; a place that stimulates a sense of\npleasure, pride and discovery; as an experience, which provides an aesthetic\nchallenge resulting in a greater cultural awareness and discernment. Buddhist\npaintings are among the most gentle and sublime art of mankind. They are among\nthe oldest surviving art of the historic period in the Indian subcontinent from\nthe 3rd century BCE when the Great Indian Emperor Ashoka was instrumental in\nthe spread of Buddhism to Sri Lanka and all over Asia. Sri Lanka became the\ncentre of the earlier Theravada Order of Buddhism from where the Buddhist\ntradition traveled to the countries of South-East Asia. The religion and the\nart associated with it had a transforming effect on the countries which it\nreached and, till today, the art heritage of Buddhism flourishes in the Asian\ncontinent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Buddhism, which was introduced to Sri\nLanka in the 3rd century BCE, was the primary source of inspiration and\ninfluence for artists, sculptors and architects of the country. Paintings form\na dominant component of the heritage of Sinhala Buddhists. A spectacular\ncollection of ancient sculpture and architecture further adorns the conspicuous\nelements of the island\u2019s Sinhala Buddhist culture. For some 2500 years, the Sinhala\npeople inhabited Sri Lanka as its dominant community. Up to the 16th<\/sup>\ncentury, they accounted for over 99% of the population and all were Buddhists. They\nform 75% of island\u2019s present population and about 95% of them are Buddhists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BUDDHIST\nSITES WITH PAINTINGS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Innumerable ancient sites with paintings are scattered throughout the country \u2013 north, south, east and west, in the hill country and the coastal areas. The large majority of Buddhist paintings are found in Buddhist \u2018vihara\u2019 (shrine) and monasteries, the best known are those in ancient cities such as Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Dambulla, Sigiriya, and Mahanuwara (Kandy). All these cities were designated by the UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, owing to their artistic treasures, considered as masterpieces of human creative genius. Paintings found in ancient cave temples are over 2000 years old and some more than a 1000 years. Most of the earliest paintings are found in a fragmentary form. Among the oldest paintings are those on rock surfaces in caves, and walls of relic chambers inside ancient \u2018dagoba\u2019 or \u2018stupa\u2019 (pagoda). Most of these sites are \u2018Raja Maha Viharas\u2019 or Buddhist temples established by Sinhala kings, or which received their patronage in ancient times. UNESCO has identified 1037 shrines with paintings which are more than 100 years old. Paintings are found on ancient cave and rock surfaces, walls, ceilings, doors, wooden surfaces, statues and other sculpture, pottery\/earthenware and on cloth or textiles. Paintings were done on a layer of plaster applied over these surfaces.   Material used on all surfaces were natural, obtained from the immediate environment. Some of these products were boiled and processed in different ways in order to obtain necessary shades of colours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The predominant themes of ancient\nartistic pursuits were the life of the Buddha, \u2018Jataka Tales\u2019 based on former\nlives of the Buddha. Some narrative paintings are reflective of the teachings\nof the Buddha. Paintings reveal the great adoration the artists had\ntowards the Buddha and the strong inspiration drawn from the Buddha\u2019s life and\nteachings. Buddhist\npaintings have a strong impact on one\u2019s inner spirit, transforming your mind to\na state of innocence and overflowing compassion, joy and peacefulness.\nAccording to the Buddha\u2019s teachings, developing tranquility of mind is\nfundamental to the development of wisdom. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PERIODS OF ART\n(from 3rd<\/sup> century BCE to 21st<\/sup> century)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on general differences in art traditions the\nfollowing major periods of art can be identified:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(1)\nClassical Period <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      (a) Anuradhapura Period :   3rd century BCE to 10th<\/sup> c.CE <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      (b)  Polonnaruwa \nPeriod :  11th to 13th c. CE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(2) Period of Changing Capitals : 13th to 17th c. CE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(3) Mahanuwara Period :  18th to 19th c. CE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(4) Modern Period: 20th century onwards<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Classical Period<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The classical\nstyle of Sinhala art is naturalistic, exemplifying a transformation of nature\nby imaginative contemplation. Paintings show a highly tasteful use of a variety\nof colours and a skilful depiction of facial expressions of the figures.  With the exclusion of Sigiriya, most of the\nsurviving ancient paintings of the Classical Period  such as those of the Tivanka Pilimage in\nPolonnaruwa, are found in fragmentary form. Most were destroyed when foreigners\ninvaded the Sinhala kingdoms of Sri Lanka. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Period Of Changing Capitals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Political instability of this period had\na negative impact on people\u2019s artistic initiatives. South Indian invaders\nplundered local settlements and inflicted widespread damage to  Buddhist temples.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mahanuwara (Kandyan) Period <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paintings exhibit a predominantly\nstylized form, referred to by art professionals as \u2018abstract symbolism\u2019. It is\na unique art form of great appeal, with its own dynamics and structural\nproperties.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Modern Period<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enchanting modern paintings are found the\nKelani Raja Maha Vihare, Gotami Vihare, and Bellanwila Vihara. Also, several\nmodern artists and photographers have contributed to the conservation of\nancient paintings by producing near perfect reproductions on canvas and some\ncommendable photographic reproductions.  \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SERENE JOY AND EMOTION  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition and film show were occasions for those interested generally in art and art history, and for creative artists in general, to enjoy and draw inspiration from, an array of work of art ancient and modern, that are of great aesthetic appeal and artistic value.  It was an occasion where art enthusiasts interacted freely and were sharing observations and feelings on Sri Lankan art. The exhibition and film show provided considerable opportunities for intercultural dialogue and appreciation by the diversity of visitors. Besides, judged by the reaction of some visitors, this event generated a good amount of interest in conserving and promoting these priceless treasures. Being a Canadian of Sri Lankan descent, initiatives of this nature which Canada encourages, inevitably makes me feel good about being a Canadian. Canada has been the meeting place of all cultures of the world and also a place where these cultures are well nurtured. Our sense of Canadian identity derives from an understanding of our shared cultures and the richness of our collective histories. We are hopeful that our endeavors will generate increased awareness of the richness of this cultural heritage, and lead to greater interest in its conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The festive inauguration of the Exhibition Documentary Film show on May 21st<\/sup> 2005, was marked by a Buddhist Cultural Festival, attended by a large number of people, including Buddhists representing all Buddhist traditions, and non-Buddhists. Among the special invitees were dignitaries from the Toronto City, Universities and cultural establishments. This Cultural festival included musical recitals, traditional drumming, an assortment of traditional dances performed by youth and  children, and a slide show on ancient Sinhala sculpture and architecture. The active participation of reputed performers and artists of the Ontario Sri Lanka community was a welcome addition to this spectacular cultural event (Latha Dissanayake (singing), Sampath Edirisinghe(singing and Music),  Praneeth Alawatte (traditional drums), Dhuwaraka Sivathasam (table), Mitra Ramlakhan, Bakthi Deeyadaha (dance), Janani Nithiyeswaran(dance), Natalie Garth(dance), Rebecca Hettige(dance) and Keesha Jinadasa(dance).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

COMMENTS MADE\nBY VISITORS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           A most impressive photo\ndocumentation. Completely unique \u2013  We\nhad a detailed tour by Yoshani DeSilva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert\nSiebelhoff <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Thank you for such a wonderful\nintroduction to Sri Lankan Art. The tour was informative, the people receptive\nand pleasant to talk to. We look forward to seeing the documentary film\ntonight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Razmiera\nJustin (ineligible)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Thank you so much for the personal\ntour of the exhibition. You have inspired us to visit these wonderful sites ourselves\nas soon as we can. Your images of sculpture and paintings are truly\nstunning!  With Thanks<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary\n& Ron Dergh (inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           This is really fantastic. I enjoyed\nit very much. Great work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loles  (inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           A really powerful display. Pity my\nstudents can\u2019t attend as a group for the great learning experience – self\nidentity and self esteem! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.\nChang<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Wonderful exhibit! Students very\nhelpful and enthusiastic!! Spread this cultural exhibit throughout Canada for\nothers to enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B…\n(inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           I found the exhibit overwhelming \u2013 a\nrevelation,  not only the beauty and\nelegance \u2013 the sheer extent and variety \u2013 and exuberance and vitality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James\nBeckmann<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           I enjoyed the documentary film\ntremendously. The use of colour and the beautiful design work are simply\nwonderful. I have two suggestions for editing. 1. the music in the first\nsection employing the mail narrator drowns out his voice. 2. the word capitals\nis misspelled several times. Best wishes to you in finding a venue for future\nexhibits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michelle\nFarell<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Both events were very enriching and\nhave opened my eyes to such an artistic and spiritual culture. The movie was\nvery informative and detailed towards Buddhist art and culture and has kindled\na greater interest in understanding the different symbols and representations\nused in Buddhist art work. Participating in the art exhibition was truly and\nhonour and privilege. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mitra\nRamlakhan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Excellent presentation. Very\ninteresting, informative and beautiful work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angela\nColm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Wow! I was very impressed about the\nquality of the production<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Good luck guys!!! You were moved from\nthe heart in undertaking this project. (keep it up)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael\nBanate (inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Very educational and personally\ninteresting to learn about Buddhist history and art in Sri Lanka. A very good\ndocumentary and surprising that it is a pioneer effort. I\u2019m impressed about the\ntalent of everyone who worked on this project<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sujhan\nP. (inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           As an artist I am overwhelmed by the\ntime it took to paint all these surfaces. I have been reading and studying\nBuddhism for the past year and finally found the spiritual outlet I needed \u2013 I\nthank you for the tour and much enjoyed this exhibition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cynthia\nLineel (inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           It\u2019s wonderful! To get in the\nbuddha\u2019s realm through the exhibition! Best wishes to keep going on! The\ncompassionate heart<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luat\nTran<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           It\u2019s good to see something which is\nspirituality instead of just high technology and science. This exhibition\nbrings me one more step forward towards Buddhism. Nowadays people really need\nthis kind of information though they don\u2019t think so. Keep going!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alan\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           The most beautiful paintings of love,\npeace, enlightenment, devotion and all that is good in our world. Thank You.\nPeace, love and Blessings<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kathy\nMstapha- Ali (CTS Television)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Thank You very much for letting me\nhave a good chance to view all these valuable historical remains. I am a visual\nartist, so you will understand how I appreciate this exhibition. Also as a\nBuddhist this exhibition is very important to me \u2013 educationally and in terms\nof appreciation of art. Thanks for all you hard work and look forward to see\nyou next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miranda\nMak (Canadian Multicultural Links Association)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           I am moved by the delicacy of detail,\nthe richness of colour, texture and motif and the endurance of the materials\nover time<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mosa\nMeshma Mcnelly (inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Quite encouraging. Lots of efforts\nput. Thanks\u2026., we viewers speak for you<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nishtha\nRajiv Dhiman<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           A wonderful experience seeing the\nphotos was almost being in front of the images. May this exhibit continue to\ndelight and inform wherever it can go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr.\nCarol Farkas (inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           This is really fantastic. I enjoyed\nit very much. Great work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loles\n(inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Really powerful display. Pity my\nstudents cant attend as a group for this great learning experience it could be\nfor self identity and self \u2013esteem!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           The photographs are amazing. Sorry I\nmissed the documentary film. Hopefully the documentary film contains the\nhistory of the rich culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loretta\nWong<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M.Chang<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           A wonderful exhibit! Students were\nhelpful and enthusiastic! Spread this great cultural exhibit throughout Canada\nfor others to enjoy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B.\n(inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           We appreciate the art at you exhibit.\nIt is great job and big success to Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

G.\n(inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Impressive exhibition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evelyn\nChan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Thank You very much for the\ncomprehensive exhibit that are exquisite and informative and educational.\nEnjoyed the Tour given by Yoshani and Discussion with Daya<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frank\nYong<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           I really enjoyed ancient Buddhist\nPaintings and Statues in Sri Lanka. These are all beautiful and attract my\ninterest. For sure I would travel to Sri Lanka to see them in an year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Takashi\nIgarashi<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Very informative and extremely\ninteresting. A spectacular exhibition! I would definitely recommend this show\ncase to friends and family who take interest in the Buddhist Tradition in South-East\nAsia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sydney\nTrang<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           I would like to keep in touch about\nfuture exhibitions. I belong to an art gallery and interested in various art\nwork<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kathy\nMac Isaac<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Please send me information on Jataka<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al\nKarim Dharsee<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           It\u2019s a one of a kind exhibit, rare\nhistoric serene images photographed in one of the most remote areas of the\nworld for all of us to enjoy and appreciate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neal\nVan Meter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Excellent Presentation. Should be\nshown on Program Opening Night\u201d Thursday Night on CBC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Excellent visual quality and contour\nsupports the magnificent contents of the film. Minor auditory problems in\npresentation \u2013 could not always understand the male voice in early part of the\nfilm \u2013 I think technical problems with the equipment. Otherwise, its perfect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Neil\nVan Meter<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Thanks for this wonderful film you\nenabled me to see. Such an impressive and spiritual art of Sri Lanka. As a\nperson interested greatly in Buddhism I \nwas really impressed on all the art and I\u2019d only encourage people to\nvisit Sri Lanka. Thank you so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christine\nHiratsuka<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Wonderful! Best Wishes to success\n& spiritual harmony<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luat\nTran<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Magnificent cultural and religious\nachievements. Deserves greater knowledge!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robert\nSiebelhoff<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Very interesting. I had not known any\nof the history of Sri Lanka it\u2019s art. This gave me some of both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

George\nBacon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Very interesting and fascinating. I\nenjoyed the documentary very much. It is very interesting to see Buddhist art\nto compare to those of China. Thank you. Great work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lery\nLieng Chun (inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           It is a wonderful exhibition. Third\ntime I saw in Toronto. Promoting our culture to the world through our Buddhist\nPhotos of Paintings is unique venture. Sri Lankan\u2019s must be proud of your\nscholarly works. All the best in your future endeavors too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

C.S\nPoolokasingham (Consul General, Sri Lanka in Toronto)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Once again, you\u2019ve have done us Sri\nLankans living here as one Nation, proud! The Show you have put up this time\naround is even greater and better! But the greatest thing about your flashing\nvision is that now it has got wings and there\u2019s a whole community to help you\nsoar\u2026 for the love of the country that have all of us, you and me, a name and\nidentity! Congratulations and Best Wishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aloy\nPerera <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           I think I would underestimating my\nfeelings if I say that you have done a fantastic job, organizing an exhibition\nof this nature. At times I was simply spellbound \u2013 to say the least.  Please carry on the good work. We wish you\nwell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anonymous\nSri Lankans<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           It\u2019s a pleasure to be here today and\nenjoy this incredible Buddhist painting exhibition after a long time. With\nthank you so much for taking us 2500 years back and sharing the historical\ninformation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anushka\n& Bimal Abeywardena<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           I was highly impressed by the great\nwork you have done. Even though I\u2019m a Sri Lankan by origin and have tried to\nvisit most of these temples while I was there, there was so much that we missed\nand I should note that some paintings that were exhibited were very rare ones,\nthose of which caught my mere attention. It made me realized ones again of the\ngreat heritage we do hold but are not aware of. In a time where ancient things\nare fading away gradually and especially in a foreign country, what you have\ndone is marvelous. But also the short but really factual and interesting\nlectures, gave me a glimpse of many things I didn\u2019t know. This step taken by\nyou to value our ancient Buddhist paintings is both a great asset to us Lankans\nand foreigners living here. How beautiful these paintings are I simply feel\ninexpressible to describe them. They so attractive and thank you so much for\nall your hard work valuable time and money you spent in order to make this\nevent a success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dilini\nJayasinghe<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           I really enjoyed this event. The\npaintings you have brought here are so beautiful. Your effort was certainly\nsuccessful. Wish you all the best in continuing this kind of great events to\nvalue are ancient heritage. Thank you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asoka\nPerera <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           I enjoyed the tour of the exhibition.\nI understood more about the pictures with the explanations about them and it\nmade me enjoy and appreciate more. I enjoyed the modern paintings and the\npictures of Sigiriya. I like looking at the pictures in order because it made\nmore sense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anushie\nMahavitane<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           I like the items in the exhibition.\nDaya did a good job exhibiting these rare valuable paintings which reflect our\nreligion and culture. It made me proud to show the whole world about our\nreligion and culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kushlan\nSeneviratne<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Very well organized to demonstrate\nhow Buddhist art has evolved over the centuries. Pictures are breathtaking and\ninspirational. Now when I visit the temples I will have a basic understanding\nand appreciation of Buddhist culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nilu\nMahavitane<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Thank you very much for the\nexhibition of photo images of Buddhist paintings. I enjoyed it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nimna\nFernando<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           I am so glad that Quintus and I were\nable to make time even on the last day to visit City Hall. All of us visit\nthese Temples and marvel at the paintings and architecture, but we have never\nhad such detailed information to go along with what we have seen in terms of\nBuddhist culture. The long hours of research, dedication and the obvious love\nof history has made this Exhibition and eye opener to all of us. In short, it\nwas and AWESOME EXHIBITION!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quintus\n& Krishanthi Ratnayake<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Nice movie, it would be nice to have\nsomething available online for further information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rodrigo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           It was a great pleasure to be a part\nof this event<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Predeep\nWaragoda<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           The arts are exhibited really well\nand we enjoyed a lot seeing the heritage of Buddhist pictures. Hard work and\neffort was well worth for reverse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lucky\nand Champa Viswakula<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Great step taken to show the Sri\nLanka culture and the art to the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thusitha\nWeerasuriya<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           It\u2019s a great exhibition. Keep it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chanaka\nGausaethige (inelligeble)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           It is really great that a culture and\nart that as these are being promoted in a foreign country like Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shri<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Great effort, wonderful presentation.\nThank you very much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ranjan\n& Neru Weerasinghe<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Very interesting, good work, enjoyed\nvery much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rupi\nWadugodapitiya<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           It\u2019s amazing to see how much work you\nhave put into this project! I thoroughly enjoyed it as it brought back so many,\nmany memories. I hope you will continue and make more of these available to\nus!! Congratulations one job. Well done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krishanthi\nRatnayake<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           Arju\u2026.Very well done. Enriching\nexperience, looking forwart to any future films\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

K.B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022           WOW! That was so good .. we really\nfound most interesting and educational. Exceptionally good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dinuk\n& Nadine<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr.\nDaya Hewapathirane<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane This was a unique cultural event held at the University of Toronto\u2019s prestigious Robarts Library, from May 21 to 30, 2005, to mark firstly, Vesak\u201d, the most holy and venerated time of the year for Buddhists, and secondly, in commemoration of 100 years of Buddhism in Canada. Vesak full-moon day, which usually […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[101],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-daya-hewapathirane"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101954"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101954\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}