Mabotuwana Sri Sumanarama Purana Wilgamu Rajamaha Viharaya (Vilgamu Rajamaha Viharaya) is a fairly well maintained ‘Tampita Viharaya’ lying about 4 km off Wanduraba on the Kottawagama road. In the ancient text ‘Vihara Asna’ this temple has been called ‘Wilgamu Rajamaha Viharaya’.
According to professor Senarath Paranawithana, this temple has been built in 1240 by the famous Devapathiraja, the well known minister of king Parakarambahu II of Dambadeniya Kingdom. Minister Devapathiraja is credited with contributing immensely towards the development of temples in the Southern Region. Minister Devapathiraja is said have built 3 Tampita Vihara in this region and this is believed to be one of them. This is also believed to be the largest Tampita Viharaya in the southern region.
Although the temple belongs to the Dambadeniya Era, the temple has gone through changes at multiple periods. The Tampita Viharaya has been built on top of granite pillars with ‘Na’ timber laid across them. The walls have been built using materials such as bamboo, kithul rafters tied together with pitcher tree creeper and filled with clay from ant hills mixed with sugar cane extracts. These walls are about 22 inches thick. The same material has been used to built the statues inside the building. The walls are adorned with sceneries from the jathaka stores such as Dammapala Jathakaya and Khanda Jathakaya.
Also See
- Tampita Vihara of Sri Lanka Index
- Ancient Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of Mabotuwana Sri Sumanarama Purana Wilgamu Rajamaha Viharaya
The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites
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Traveling Directions to Mabotuwana Sri Sumanarama Purana Wilgamu Rajamaha Viharaya
Route from Galle to Mabotuwana Sri Sumanarama Purana Wilgamu Rajamaha Viharaya |
distance :27 km Travel time : 1 hour Driving directions : see on google map |