Heritage

Abayagiri Monastery – The Main Refectory (අභයගිරි ප්‍රධාන දාන ශාලාව)

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Rice Canoe or the Bath Oruwa -Main Refectory of Abayagiri Monastery

Located close to the Uttara Mula this is considered the main refectory of the Abayagiri Monastery. This is a square building with 42.7m on one side. Four stages of construction from early as the 1st century BC have been found during the excavation of the site.

The famous Chinese traveler monk Fa-Hien who visited the monastery in the 5th century stated that the monastery housed up to 5,000 monks at that time. All the meals of these monks would have been prepared and served at this location.

The ‘Bath Oruwa’ or the Rice Canoe carved out of stone which served the rice to the monks is 19 meters long. It is estimated that this canoe would hold over 5,000 rice plates. Another smaller stone canoe beside this would have probably been used to serve the curries.

On the courtyard between the Rice Canoe and a centre dining area, a sun-dial has been discovered. This has been removed and is now on display in the Abhayagiri Monastery. A replica made out of cement has been kept in place. The original has been preserved at the Abayagiri Museum.

3rd Stone Canoe - Main Refectory of Abayagiri Monastery

Also See

Anuradhapura – The city of the God King

Map of Main Refectory of Abayagiri Monastery

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Traveling Directions to Main Refectory of Abayagiri Monastery (Anuradhapura)

Anuradhapura can be reached through many routes from Colombo. The two main routes are through Puttalam (Puttalama) and through Kurunegala. Travelling from Puttalam, you will pass the scenic Wilpattu area. From Kurunegala, there are two main routes to Anuradhapura. The most common route is through Dambulla. The other route is through Galgamuwa. Out of all the routes, the most commonly used is the Kurunegala-Dambulla route (Route 2).

Route 01 from Colombo to Anuradhapura	Route 02 from Colombo to Anuradhapura
Through : Negombo – Chilaw – Puttalam Distance from Colombo : 210 km Travel time : 4.30- 5.00 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map	Through : Katunayake Expressway – Central Expressway – Kurunegala – Dambulla Distance from Colombo : 223 km Travel Time : 4.30- 5.00 hours Driving Directions : see on Google maps
Route 03 from Colombo to Anuradhapura	Route from Kandy to Anuradhapura
Through : Katunayake Expressway – Narammala – Wariyapola – Padeniya – Thambuthegama Distance from Colombo :203 km Travel Time : 4.30- 5.00 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map	Through : Katugastota – Matale – Dambulla Distance from Colombo :136 km Travel Time : 3.5 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map

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Mihintale Slab Inscriptions and the Relic House (4වන මිහිඳු රජුගේ මිහින්තලේ පුවරු ලිපි)
The inscription of King Mahinda IV belonging to the tenth century is installed on the two sides of the entrance to this Vihara. The relic house is a square building. […]
Dambegoda Pillar Inscription in Maligawila (දඹේගොඩ ටැම් ලිපිය)
Established by King Mahinda IV (956-972) Dambegoda Pillar Inscription in Maligawila narrates the religious acts of the king and lays down rules for the administration of certain religious establishments. […]
Kotttapitiya Slab Inscription (කෝට්ටපිටිය පුවරු ලිපිය)
The Kotttapitiya Slab Inscription is considered one of the 14 valuable inscriptions of the Anuradhapura Era. The pillar inscription is believed to have been placed by King Mahinda IV (956-972) and is 6 feet in height and 1.5 feet wide. 45 lines of text have been inscribed on this pillar. […]
Ranawa Andiyagala Pillar Inscription (රණව ආඬියාගල ටැම් ලිපිය)
Placed by King Dappula IV in the early part of the 10th century, this Ranawa Andiyagala Pillar Inscription declares a sanctuary for Animal, Plants as well as Humans in the Namal Uyana area. Even royal guards were prohibited from entering this area to apprehend criminals. […]
Dutugemunu Pillar at Ruwanweli Seya (දුටුගැමුණු ශිලා ස්ථම්භය)
Many do not pay special attention to this pillar which is generally called "Dutugenumu Pillar" but the story behind this pillar is interesting as the construction of the Ruwanweli Seya itself. This pillar was installed by King Devanampiyatissa (250-210 BCE) on the advice of Mihindu Maha Thero. […]
Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Burial Site in Maduru Oya Valley
In this Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Cemetery, scattered across the landscape, lie between 15 to 20 graves. Unfortunately, the peaceful serenity of these resting places has been disrupted by thorn bushes, which have taken root amidst many of the tombs. Adding to the desecration, some graves have fallen victim to the destructive hands of treasure hunters, who have ransacked them in search of valuables. […]
Gurugalhinna Megalithic Burial Grounds
Gurugalhinna Megalithic Cemetery was initially uncovered and examined in 1896 by R. W. Levers. Subsequently, in the 1970s, Raja De Silva from the Department of Archaeology led excavations at Gurugalhinna. However, the burials at the site have not been scientifically dated. […]
Dalada Maligawa of Kurunegala Kingdom (කුරුණෑගල රාජධානියේ දළදා මාලිගාව)
The old city of Kurunegala Kingdom was spread between Kuruminigala and Ibbagala, bounded by Athugala. Even today ruins of the palace complex, the Temple of Tooth (Dalada Maligawa) and other buildings inside a semi-circular are found on this strip of land between Athugala and Kuruminigala. […]
Vessagiriya Aramic Complex at Anuradhapura (වෙස්සගිරිය)
Vessagiriya is located few hundred meters left to the current Isurumuniya on the old Anuradhapura-Kurunegala road. This temple complex is located in and around 3 beautiful bolder formations spread across a large area in front of the Tissa Weva. On one these is a remains of a dagaba. […]
Inguruwaththa Purana Tampita Viharaya (ඉඟුරුවත්ත පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
The Tampita Viharaya at the Inguruwaththa Purana Viharaya is built on 2 feet 4 inches high 8 granite stumps during the era of king Kirthi Sri Rajasinghe (1747 – 1781). . A circumambulating path is built around the image house protected by a half height wall. […]
Hiripathwella Mayurawathi Sri Bodhirajarama Purana Tampita Viharaya (හිරිපත්වැල්ල මයුරාවතී ශ්‍රී බෝධිරාජාරාම පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
Hiripathwella Mayurawathi Sri Bodhirajarama Purana Viharaya is an ancient Buddhist temple with a Tampita Viharaya belonging to the Kandyan era. […]
Hindhawa Sri Wijesundararamaya Purana Tampita Viharaya (හිඳව ශ්‍රී විජේසුන්දරාරාමය පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
Hindhawa Sri Wijesundararamaya Purana Viharaya is an ancient viharaya with a Tampita Viharaya belonging to the Kandyan era. The temple lies 7 km off Wariyapola in the Bamunakotuwa area. […]
Eethanawatta Meddegoda Purana Tampita Viharaya – ඊතණවත්ත මැද්දේගොඩ පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය
The Tampita Viharaya at the Eethanawatta Purana Viharaya is built upon 12 granite pillars. A narrow circumambulating path around the main chamber can be seen. The outer wall of the inner chamber is covered in paintings. Entrance to the chamber is through a finely decorated Makara Throrana (Dragon Arch). […]
Buttala Gonaganara Walagamba Purana Viharaya – බුත්තල ගෝනගංආර වලගම්බා පුරාණ විහාරය
Walagamba Purana Viharaya in Gonaganara in Buttala is an ancient temple scatted with ruins of the ancient civilization in Rohana area. The temple is hidden deep inside Buttala on the Sella Kataragama road. […]
Buttala Yatiyallathota Kutumbala Rajamaha Viharaya – බුත්තල යටියල්ලාතොට කුටුම්බාල රජමහා විහාරය
Buttala Yatiyallathota Kutumbala Rajamaha Viharaya is believed to be during the reign of Mahanaga, brother of king Devanampiatissa (250-210 BC). One of the two large stupa still remains as mound of earth while a new stupa has been built on top of the other. […]
Mullegama Mulgirigala Rajamaha Viharaya – මුල්ලේගම මුල්ගිරිගල රජමහා විහාරය
Mullegama Mulgirigala Rajamaha Viharaya is an ancient cave temple with inscriptions recording donations to maha sanga which has been dated to 1st - 3rd centuries BC. […]
Buttala Katugahagalge Rajamaha Viharaya (බුත්තල කටුගහගල්ගේ රජමහා විහාරය)
Katugahagalge Rajamaha Viharaya is an ancient cave temple with its origin going back to pre christian era with some unique features including a Nissanka Gau Inscription pillar, […]
Dimbulagala Namal Pokuna Monastic Complex at (දිඹුලාගල නාමල් පොකුණ ආරන්‍යය)
Dimbulagala Namal Pokuna is an ancient armaic complex lying on a peaceful undisturbed rocky outcrop close to the Popular Dimbulagala Temple. Probably part of the same complex in the ancient times […]
Unambuwa Purana Tampita Viharaya (උණම්බුව පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
At the ancient temple at Unambuwa, you will find a Tampita Viharaya built during the Kandyan era. A Tampita Viharaya is a structure built on a wooden platform which rests on number of stone stumps usually 3-4 feet tall. […]
Ranwala Purana Tampita Viharaya – රංවල පුරාණ ටැම්පිට විහාරය
Ranwala Purana Rajamaha Viharaya is an ancient temple with a Tampita Viharaya hidden just few hundred meters away from the Colombo Kandy road just before the Kegalle town. […]

Also See

Map of Main Refectory of Abayagiri Monastery

Traveling Directions to Main Refectory of Abayagiri Monastery (Anuradhapura)

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