Nagaraja guardstone 800-900 Anuradhapura period, Sri Lanka, Granite. Nagas, or serpent spirits are associated with the protection of treasure, whether in the earth or at the bottom of lakes or rivers. This figure is a 'serpent spirit king'. It would have been one of a pair, placed at the foot of the stairs leading up to a stupa to guard the reliquary mound and its sacred contents.
Nagaraja guardstone 800-900 Anuradhapura period, Sri Lanka, Granite. Nagas, or serpent spirits are associated with the protection of treasure, whether in the earth or at the bottom of lakes or rivers. This figure is a 'serpent spirit king'. It would have been one of a pair, placed at the foot of the stairs leading up to a stupa to guard the reliquary mound and its sacred contents.
Size: 3600px × 5817px
Location:
Photo credit: © World History Archive / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 800-900, anuradhapura, archival, archive, art, bottom, contents., earth, figure, foot, granite., guard, guardstone, hindu, historical, history, indian, king., lakes, lanka, leading, mound, nagaraja, nagas, pair, period, protection, reliquary, rivers., sacred, serpent, snake, spirit, spirits, sri, stairs, stupa, treasure
