Pilgrims wearing white pass the gold fence protecting the first and oldest Bo Tree on the island. The tree is more than 2000 years old and has been tended lovingly, since it was brought as a cutting from the Bo where Buddha sat and meditated to achieve his enlightenment. The sacred plant was carried from India to Anuradhapura by Sanghamitta, daughter of the Emperor Ashok and sister of mahathero Mahinda who successfully established the the buddhist religion in Sri Lanka in the second century b.c.
Prabhash as pilgrim. A particular focus for prayer and meditation in Anuradhapura is the Mahabodhi - the living relic linking the contemporary Buddhist to the very leaves and sap of the tree that gave Lord Buddha shade in the final days of his quest for enlightenment.
Carrying lotus flowers as an offering to the Bo tree this girl bears a striking resemblance in features and pose to the beauties on the cliff walls of Sigiriya. ( see below ) who were likely preparing for a similar ceremony at a Bo tree on their mountain fortress.
Painted on the cliff wall above a ceremonial pathway to the top of the Sigiriya fortress this maiden remains one of the great representations of feminine beauty and allure.
Mother and daughter prepare to offer pooja at their local village Bo Tree - Kirigala Horana
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