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Arts & Communication Cultural exchange and decorative motifs in 12 -century
th

Figure 5. Auspicious Symbols of Lord Buddha (boxed) used in Sarnath. Figure 7. A design similar to Thiringi Thalaya used in Sarnath. Image
Image obtained from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ used with permission from Jeewana Manaram Kodagoda.
commons/d/d8/Bala_Bodhisattva_chakra.jpg.

Figure 8. A design similar to Thiringi Thalaya used in Angkor Wat. Image
Figure 6. Thringi Thalaya. Image obtained from: https://www.youtube. used with permission from Jeewana Manaram Kodagoda.
com/watch?v=IAZqvbghDqA (02:37-04:34).
similar decorative motifs is the vine design, which appears
The Binara flower design is noted for its perfection, as an extension of a series of decorative motifs.
achieved through the straight lines used in the Border
designs. Its application in Sri Lanka and Sarnath reveals Borders, or “border” decorative motifs, are simple
striking similarities. Interestingly, this design is derived patterns based on the “line” designs and are also used in
from Exacum trinervium, a plant endemic to Sri Lanka. corner decorative motifs. These motifs are used to decorate
According to the Sinhala month system, September is the Pīkaḍaya points of towers, a shared feature across all three
places. In addition, they serve as a decorative technique for
referred to as “Binara month.” While the use of this plant creating overall surfaces built on a grid base with standard
as a design element in Sri Lanka is straightforward, its square-shaped features. The Valpata ornament, a net-like
appearance in Sarnath and Angkor suggests an exchange of design made of interwoven vines, often incorporates small
regional decorative motifs (Figure 11). The design reflects the four-petaled flowers where the vines intersect. This vine
unique features of the petals, maintaining a consistent four- design, commonly used for window and beam decoration,
fold shape across regions. However, Sri Lankan designers is inspired by the geometric patterns of the Havadi and
often incorporate a small leaf between the petals to mimic Kundrikans, showcasing remarkable similarities in design
the natural “binara mala,” and this feature is not consistently and application. A strong feature identified in this research
observed in all cases. Another unique design found among is the combination of different styles applied to similar

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 6 doi: 10.36922/ac.4205