Sinhabahu

Sinhabahu

Sinhabahu (Sinha = Lion, Bahu = Arm) is a legendary king of ancient India, mentioned in Sri Lankan texts. He was father of Vijaya of Sri Lanka and king of Sinhapura. He was the son of Suppadevi, a Vanga Kingdom princess. According to the Mahavamsa's Legend (the chronicled history of Sri Lanka), Sinhabahu's father was a lion and his mother a princess of Vanga, who was kidnapped by the lion. His hands and feet were like a lion's paws.

Quick Facts Spouse, Issue ...
Stylized lion holding sword
Sinhabahu depicted of the Flags of Sri Lanka[citation needed]

When Sinhabahu was sixteen, he escaped his father lions prison with his mother and sister Sinhasivalee, and arrived in the capital of Vanga. He later killed his father for a reward and was offered the throne of Vanga.

He refused the throne, instead founding the city of Sinhapura, in the country of Láta. He lived there with his sister Sinhasivalee, whom he made his consort. They had thirty-two children, of whom Vijaya was the eldest and Sumitta the second.

Sinhabahu Drama

The tale of Sinhabahu was greatly popularised by playwright Ediriweera Sarachchandra, under the title 'Sinhabahu', which was adapted from the legend in the Mahawamsa.

See also


References


    Share this article:

    This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Sinhabahu, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.