Degaldoruwa Raja Maha Vihara | AmazingLanka.com

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Doorway of the Degaldoruwa Raja Maha Vihara - — Doorway of the Degaldoruwa Raja Maha Vihara –

The Kandyan king, Kirti Sri Rajasinghe (1747-1780) was a great patron of the arts. It was during his time that some of the best paintings in upcountry temples were created. Among them, the Degaldoruwa Raja Maha Vihara paintings stand out. Degaldoruwa is just a few miles away from Kandy close to Kundasale and is well worth a visit to get an idea of the Kandyan style of paintings. Incidentally, the temples which received the patronage of the king came to be known as ‘Raja Maha Viharas’ and to this day they are identified as such. So when you next see a name board of a temple with the wording ‘Raja Maha Vihara’, that means the king had given lands and other valuables to that temple.

The Degaldoruwa paintings were initiated by King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe, but he passed away before they could be finished. The task was completed during the reign of his successor and younger brother, King Rajadhi Rajasinghe. Once the paintings were done, the king entrusted them to his teacher, Moratota Dhammarakhkhita Nayaka Thera, a highly respected and scholarly monk, widely known as Moratota Hamuduruwo.

Four ‘Sittara‘ painters are credited with creating the Degaldoruwa paintings, with Devendra Mulachari recognized as the leader among them. Devaragampola Silvattenne Unnanase was the most renowned of the group. The term ‘Silvat Unananses‘ refers to those who had taken monastic vows but had not yet received higher ordination, or ‘upasampada‘. Besides his work at Degaldoruwa, Silvattenne Unnanase also painted murals at Ridi Vihara in Kurunegala. The other two artists involved were Hiriyale Naide and Nilagama Patabendi.

Critics consider the Degaldoruwa paintings to be works of remarkable beauty and charm. These decorative murals not only showcase artistic skill but also reflect the customs, manners, and social conditions of the era. The paintings vividly portray elaborately adorned elephants, the distinct uniforms of attendants, and the insignia of royalty with great detail.

Four Jataka tales are depicted in the image house, or ‘budu-ge,‘ at Degaldoruwa. These tales are illustrated as continuous narratives, allowing devotees to follow the story from beginning to end as they walk through the space. The tales portrayed are the Vessantara Jataka, Sattubhatta Jataka, Sutasoma Jataka, and Mahaseelava Jataka, each representing the Bodhisattva’s previous lives.

One notable feature of these paintings is the uniform size of the figures, whether human, animal, or tree. The paintings consistently present figures in either a front or side view, never from the back. Trees are stylized with branches and leaves spreading symmetrically, and streams are depicted with a few fish and floral decorations. The predominant colours used in these murals are red and green, created from the bark of local trees.

In addition to the Jataka tales, the life of the Buddha is also depicted, with the ‘Mara Yudde’—the battle with Mara—standing out as one of the most significant scenes. The Mara is portrayed with five faces, and what makes this depiction particularly intriguing is that his forces are armed with “guns” or “rifles” along with the traditional weapons. The artists, fascinated by the power of the firearms used by the Portuguese, who controlled the coastal regions in the 16th century, incorporated these weapons to enhance the brutality of Mara’s forces. These details are captured with remarkable finesse.

The Degaldoruwa paintings, while being exquisite examples of folk art, also offer insights into the attire and architecture of the time. The clothing depicted shows a clear distinction between the garments of the low country and those worn in the upcountry. Additionally, the paintings provide glimpses into the interiors of homes, including the furniture, making them valuable resources for studying 18th-century social conditions.

Beautifully finished pillars of the Degaldoruwa Raja Maha Vihara -

Frescos in the image house of the Degaldoruwa Raja Maha Vihara -

History of Degaldorwa

Degaldoruwa is believed to have been the residence of Kiriwawule Rala, a man who refused to bow to royalty, considering himself a monarch in his own right. He once planted stakes in King Narendra Sinha’s (1707 – 1739) favourite bathing spot at Lewella, not far from Degaldoruwa. The King discovered the danger when he noticed flies on the tips of the stakes, which barely protruded above the water’s surface. Enraged, the King ordered Kiriwawule Rala‘s arrest. In a final act of defiance, Kiriwawule Rala threw his wife and children into a deep well on his property, a site still identified by villagers at a place called Wewatenna. Kiriwawule Rala ultimately faced capital punishment for his actions (Lawrie, 1896, p. 53).

The origin of this temple is rooted deeply in folklore. The two large rock boulders fused at the temple have been opened in the past with a gap between them. One day a villager has gone through the gap to see what lies between to find a heap of golden sickles lying hidden at the gap. He has taken one of the sickles gone to his field, used it and replaced it in the evening on his way home. This continued for some time each day with him replacing the golden sickle after work.

On the last day of harvesting, he took two sickles and replaced only one of the sickles on his way home. The guardian gnome of this treasure noticed it and appeared in front of the villager and demanded that he return the other sickle. The frightened villager ran back to the fields brought the other sickle and placed it in the gap. The gnome thereafter sealed the gap by fusing the two rocks.

Other villagers too came to know of this event and informed King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe (1747-1780) who instructed them to clean the cave and build a temple on the instructions of the elders.

References

Lawrie, A. C. (1896). A Gazetteer of the Central Province of Ceylon (excluding Walapane) (Vol. 1). George J. A. Skeen.

Also See

Kandy – The Last Kingdom of Sinhale

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Driving Directions to Degaldoruwa Raja Maha Vihara

Kandy can be reached from Colombo via the old Colombo-Kandy road (option 1), which is scenic but heavily congested, especially on Fridays and Sundays. However, the new Central Expressway (option 2) has opened up a new route, which is longer but less cumbersome.

Route 1 from Colombo to Kandy	Route 2 from Colombo to Kandy
Through: Walapane – Raja Mawatha Distance: 100 km Travel Time: 3.0 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.	Through: Warakapola – Kegalle – Kadugannawa Distance: 121 km Travel Time: 4.15 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.
Route From Nuwara Eliya to Kandy
Through : Walapane – Raja Mawatha Distance: 100 km Travel Time: 3.0 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.