Yantra Drawings on Palm Leaf

The Yantra manuscripts featured in this publication refer to a unique tradition of Sri Lankan drawings that have been incised on palm leaf (ola). There are over 500 yantra drawings, some in exquisite detail. These include those of Buddhist and Hindu deities, spirit beings, shrines, symbols and decorative motifs, as well as linear and geometrical forms, which collectively form a pictorial language. Yantra drawings were the preserve of ritual practitioners and were closely held in the families of practitioners and artists involved in their production. These drawings mirror many strands in our cultural history: pre-Buddhist spirit cults, ideas relating to yaksha and naga mythology, Vadda beliefs and traditions that have been associated with Theravada, Mahayana and Tantrayana belief systems.

The drawings in this book are a selection from the author’s private collection, illustrating a wide range of themes which will be of special interest to students of social sciences, art history and other disciplines attempting to uncover cultural memory. They open a fascinating window into Sinhala Buddhist cultural experience, which has absorbed other religious and cultural strands.