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Kothmale is a town buried deep inside Sri Lankan history from the time of Price Gamini, who spent most of his younger life in exile in the valleys of Kothmale.
Part of the history of Kothmale now lies under the Kothmale Reservoir. Two surviving great temples in the region are Pusulpitiya Rajamaha Viharaya and the Methagama Dimbula Maliyadeva Rajamaha Viharaya. It is said that this temple was given its name because the great Maliyadeva Thero of of 2nd century BC who is said to be the last Arhath of Sri Lanka lived here for some time. Another folklore states that the Maliyadeva Thero rested for a few days under a Dimbul (Wood Apple) tree at the temple on his way to visit heaven with a devotee called Sulugulu. Thus this temple was called Dimbula Maliyadeva Viharaya.
No evidence of the antiquity of the temple survives today but this has been an important temple in the country even in the 15th century when this temple is mentioned in the ‘Nampotha’, a reading book thought in schools.
The temple had five six-foot Buddha statues carved out of wood and finished with a clay-based stucco. Believed to be made in the 1200s, 3 statues still survives even today.
An ancient rock-carved Buddha’s footprint is kept at a small image house. The 50-foot image house contains a large reclining Buddha statue and many other statues. Among these are two rare statues of King Kosol and ‘Ane Pindu Situ Thuma’.
Also See
Map of Methagama Dimbula Maliyadeva 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 Methagama Dimbula Maliyadeva Rajamaha Viharaya
| Route from Colombo to Methagama Dimbula Maliyadeva Rajamaha Viharaya | Route from Kandy to Methagama Dimbula Maliyadeva Rajamaha Viharaya |
| Through : Kandy Road – Gampola distance : 162 km Travel time : 5 hours Driving directions : see on google map | Through : Peradeniya – Gampola distance : 55 km Travel time : 1.30 hour Driving directions : see on google map |
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