Kottimbulwala Rajamaha Viharaya at Balangoda (කොට්ටිඹුල්වල රජ මහා විහාරය)

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It is worth visiting! Midway between Balangoda-Hatangala road, the Kottimbulwala Rajamaha Viharaya stands majestically, attracting as it has done for centuries, several thousands of pilgrims and an equal number of researchers and jovial drifters, irrespective of age or religious group.

Travelling 14.5 km on Pallebedda-Balangoda road taking the turn to the right at Weligepola town and proceeding a further 6.5 km on the Kotumbulwala road, a visitor can reach this viharaya. This ancient temple which has a history going back to pre-Christian times contains pillar stones, Buddha statues and paintings indicating its antiquity.

The rock temple is on two terraces; the lower terrace being in level with the main road. In the lower level are the carved wooden buildings and in the higher level, lies the mammoth cavern commanding a picturesque view of the landscape tapering off to the far horizon.

The main cave at the top is 120x28x23 feet in length, breadth and height. The entrance to the viharaya is through a giant stone door frame. The girth of the stone door frame amounts to an incredible two feet and the height reaches as much as ten feet.

The temple is adorned with precious murals from the Kandyan period and other distinctive Sabaragamuwa styles, making them among the oldest temple paintings in the country. These murals portray important events from the life of the Buddha, including the Bodhisatva receiving blessings before becoming the Buddha, his birth, marriage, and passing away. Additionally, there are uncommon depictions from lesser-known Jathaka stories that are rarely translated into paintings.

To the West of the cave is a copy of the Sri Pathula or a Holy Footprint of Buddha 5ft. 9in. by 2ft. 11in. in size cut into the rock (Collins, 1932, pp 172-173).

The only Inscriptions known here are on two stone slabs about 2 ft. by 1½ ft. which have been built up on either side of the steps leading to the Temple. These are within ruled lines, but the letters of the record are so worn by the weather when discovered and have not been read.

History of Kottimbulwala Rajamaha Viharaya

According to an ola leaf manuscript at the temple, this temple had existed even before the time of King Wattagamini Abhaya (89-77 BCE) better known as King Walagamba. When he was defeated in 104 BCE, among the caves he was hiding and assembling an army, he was hiding in the surrounding caves of Lendora, Kanduwela as well as in this cave. During this time he amassed an army from Ranagulipoli (Kottimbulwala) with the support of the chief prelate of this temple, and then he went to Hambegamuwa and obtained the support of the chief prelate of Kota Vehera and amassed more soldiers and went to Pihiti Rata to find more volunteers for the army to fight the Tamil invasion on the capital. Once he managed to defeat the Tamil invaders and regained the capital of Anuradhapura, King King Wattagamini Abhaya presented the chief prelate of Kottimbulwala Viharaya the title of “Abhaya Raja” and got a strong man to climb the rock where the temple stood, got him to beat a metal drum and offered all the land as far as the drum could be heard to the temple as gratitude to being the first priest to help him during his exile. (Gnanawimala, 1942, p 109)

The ancient stupa of this temple was built by King Vanni Buvenekabahu aka Buvenekabahu III (1272-1284). This temple was given royal sponsorship by King Siri Parakumba VI, King Sri Vijaya Rajasinghe (1739 -1747). King Sri Wickrama Rajasinhe (1798 – 1815) made a royal grant to this temple recorded in a copper plant in 1808. (Gnanawimala, 1942, p 109)

References

  1. Collins, C.H. (1932) ‘The Archaeology of the Sabaragamuwa Bintenna’, The Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, XXXII (85 Vol. 3285 (Parts I., II., III., and IV), pp. 158–184.
  2. Gnanawimala, K. (1942) සපරගමූවේ පැරණි ලියවිලි . Colombo, Sri Lanka: Kirielle J. M. Samarakoon Bandara.
  3. Gnanawimala, K. (1967) සපරගමු දර්ශන. Ratnapura: Kirielle Gnanawimala (self-published).

Also See

Map of  Kottimbulwala Raja Maha Vihara

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Travel Directions to Kottimbulwala Raja Maha Vihara

The temple lies 22 km off Balangoda and 19km off Pallebedda.

Route from Colombo to Kottimbulwala Cave Temple
Through : Ingiriya – Ratnapura – Balabgoda – Kirimetithenna – Weligepola
Distance :160 km
Travel time : 3.5 hours.
Driving directions : see on google map

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