Iratperiyakulama Shailabimbarama Purana Viharaya

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Iratperiyakulama Shailabimbarama Purana Viharaya
photo by Ind Sara

Discover the ancient Shailabimbarama Purana Viharaya at Iratperiyakulama, where limestone Buddha statues, a rare Siri Pathul Gala, and the remnants of a centuries-old stupa survive amid modern structures. Once a vast monastery, this hidden site reveals layers of history just off the A9 highway.

Iratperiyakulama is a village situated along the A9 highway (Kandy–Jaffna), located 19 kilometers beyond Medawachchiya and about 6 kilometers before reaching Vavuniya. The temple stands on the right side of the road and is built upon the remains of an ancient Buddhist monastic complex. Tradition states that this monastery once extended across more than 1 square kilometer, although today the temple grounds have been reduced to only about 2–3 acres.

This ancient Buddhist site, long buried beneath dense jungle, was cleared in the 1930s by Sheelananda Thero of Periyaulakkulama. Most of the permanent structures visible today were constructed after the clearance work carried out during that period.

The Sri Pathul Gala (Footprint of Buddha Carved in Stone)

Among the newer constructions, several original features still survive, including an ancient Siri Pathul Gala, a stone-carved Samadhi statue, a large rectangular rock slab once used as a flower altar, and the remains of an old stupa now appearing as a simple earthen mound.

The Siri Pathul Gala—a carved footprint of the Buddha used in early Buddhist worship before the creation of Buddha statues—measures about 84 centimeters (2 ft 9 in) in length and 81 centimeters (2 ft 8 in) in width. According to Henry Parker’s 1905 archaeological report, this footprint stone likely belonged to the original stupa.

Limestone Buddha of Iratperiyakulama

One source mentions that the limestone Buddha statues at this temple were uncovered during the excavation of a foundation for a new building. However, J. P. Lewis (1895) cites Henry Parker, who reported seeing the remains of a Pohoya-Ge, a large seated Buddha image, two customary rows of pillars, and a flight of steps already present at the site.

The Buddha statue measures roughly 1.22 meters (4 ft) in height. Parker noted that it was well preserved and carved from the same type of limestone found at Iratperiyakulama Kanda, near the Iratperiyakulama Reservoir. He also observed that the statue’s face was the finest he had encountered on a sculpture of this type. Unfortunately, the figure has since been coated in gold paint, concealing much of its original antiquity.

Stupa Remains North of the Viharaya

North of the viharaya lies the remains of an ancient stupa. The stupa has a circumference of about 12.2 meters (40 ft) and now stands roughly 2.7 meters (9 ft) high. The Yupa Sthamba, or central pillar, is visible protruding from the collapsed structure. Among the surrounding artifacts are two broken fragments of a flower altar, a stone seat, and several pillars. Ven. Ellāvala Medhānanda Thero notes that a footprint stone marked with engraved lines lies beside the Yupa Sthamba.

The ancient granite flower altar can still be seen near the stupa mound. It measures about 1.96 meters (6 ft 5 in) in length and 0.79 meters (2 ft 7 in) in width.

References

Bell, H. C. P. (1909). Archaeological Survey of Ceylon – North Central, Central and Northern Provinces Annual Report 1905. H M Richards, Acting Governement Printer.
Paranavitana, S. (1983). Inscriptions of Ceylon : Volume II Part I Containing Rock and Other Inscriptions From the Reign of Kutakanna Abhaya (41 B.C. 19 BC-19 B.C.) to Bhatiya II (140-164, A . D .): Vol. II-Part I. Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka.
Lewis, J. P. (1895). Archaeology of Wanni. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, XIII (1893-1894), 151–178.

Also See

Map of Iratperiyakulama Shailabimbarama Purana Viharaya

Click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map

Show Location on Google Maps

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

Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.