Dikwella Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya

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The image house of Dikwella Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya

To reach Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya temple in Bambarella North, Dikwella DS division, which is steeped in legend and contains ruins from the Anuradhapura era, you must travel a short distance along the Kekandura Road after passing the Rathmale junction. From there, take a right turn onto a road that will lead you to the temple. As you make this turn, you will notice a new signboard on one side, and on the other side, there is an extraordinary stone pillar. The inscription on it reads as follows.

Directions carved on stone to Dikwella Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya

“ශ‍්‍රී
බුධ
2435
කුරුඹුරෙ
පූර්‍වාරාම
විහාරස්
ථානයට
යනපාර
මෙන්න
ක‍්‍රි : 1892″

This temple, located on an isolated area, presents several newly constructed buildings as you enter through the archway. Beyond that, to the left, you will find the Bodhi tree, the stupa, and the Buddha shrine room, while on the right, you can see the library (pothgul viharaya) or Sanghawasa (monks’ residence) and the preaching hall at the front. The library, built in a European style during the colonial period, is a three-story structure.

Ayrton writes that a gold drum (ran kurumbure) is said to have been buried here as treasure. Only the Vihara premises are known as Kurumbure. This is called Brahma Cola Viharaya in Saddharmalankaraya. The original Bo-tree, dagaba and old pansala is destroyed and the new temple has been built about 225 years ago (Senaveratna, 1921).

Throughout the temple grounds, various stone ruins are scattered. Among these are fragments of statues that might represent Bodhisattvas or deities, and a unique Koravakgala (a stone balustrade). Additionally, there are pieces of stone pillars, bases, and other fragments, some of which are believed to date back to the Anuradhapura period. These artefacts indicate that the temple has a history extending back to the Anuradhapura era.

According to legend, an Arhat residing here once became thirsty and encountered a woman who offered him a water pot. After drinking all the water, the woman’s husband noticed the empty pot and instructed her to return and request the water back from the Arhat. When she went back, she discovered a natural spring bubbling from the ground, which is now known as Udupitiya Bibula, and the stream is called Uduvila.

Golden Buddha Statue (Randene Statue) at Kurumbure Viharaya

The temple experienced a period of great prosperity during the reign of King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe (1747 – 1781), under the leadership of Venerable Dematapitiye Sangharakkhita Thera. Among the offerings made by King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe is the golden Buddha statue.

According to tradition, at the request of the king, during a visit to the royal palace in Kandy, Venerable Sangharakkhita recited the entire Tripitaka from memory in the presence of the king. Amazed by this feat, the king was deeply impressed and, as a token of his admiration, presented the Venerable with this gold plated Buddha statue adorned with a Makara Thorana, a palm leaf manuscript containing the Jivaka Sutra, and a pair of elephant tusks, among other valuable offerings.

It is also believed that this golden Buddha statue at the temple is one of the four golden Buddha statues brought from India by the great Arhat Maliyadeva. This statue is 1′ 6½” tall up to the top of the Siraspatha (headdress) and 1’3″ wide knee to knee (Senaveratna, 1921).

Surrounding the statue is a Makara Thorana (Dragon Arch) made of metal. The design is both elegant and the carvings on the archway reflect a high level of artistic quality. The headdress (siraspatha) of the statue follows the Dambulla tradition, while the urna rohma (hair spiral between the eyebrows) adheres to the Gadaladeniya tradition, indicating the time period of this statue’s creation. Thus, the headdress could have been a revered object of worship in the king’s possession, later used to adorn a statue created at a subsequent time. Though it is larger than the statue at Madanwala, it is comparable in size to the statue at Kotmale’s Pusulpitiya (Wanarathna Thero, 1994, p. 159).

However, Professor Malinga Amarasinha suggests that the statue currently at Kurumbure Vihara is made of metal and features characteristics of the post-Kandy period. Once displayed in the Buddha shrine room, it has since been moved inside the temple for safety.

Current Status of the Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya

Today, the interior chamber of the Buddha shrine room is built with tall walls and a double-roof design. The exterior walls are adorned with exquisite carvings, and both the interior and exterior are decorated with various paintings. Two “Makara Thoranas” (dragon archways) mark the entrance. One of them depicts the figure of Maitri Bodhisattva in the centre. Below, a wooden panel inscribed with a Pali verse provides details about the construction of the shrine room. According to this inscription, the “Patibimbaraja,” as it was known, was begun by the Venerable Dematapitiye Sangharakkhita and later completed by the Venerable Kapugama Indrajothi Thera.

The other Makara Thorana features the image of a woman wearing a coronet, possibly representing Queen Victoria, with six accompanying figures on either side. Surrounding the inner chamber are paintings of the 24 Buddhas and Jataka tales. Although the exterior walls once contained paintings, these have faded over time, with only remnants of infernal images still visible. Inside, the Buddha images include two standing statues, one seated statue, and statues of Vishnu and Kataragama deities. There is also a mural depicting the defeat of Mara, a Bodhisattva image, and paintings of guardian Yaksha and great Arhat figures. The ceiling is adorned with a series of exquisite paintings.

The stupa has an ancient design, and according to a manuscript, Venerable Dematapitiye Thera completed it with a grant from King Rajadhi Rajasinghe (1781 – 1798).

The Pali verse inscribed above the doorway of one of the Makara Thoranas at the entrance to the inner chamber contains details related to the construction of the shrine room at Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya

Standing Buddha statue in the image house of Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya

Wall paintings in the image house of Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya

Statue of Vishnu in the inner chamber of the the image house of Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya

Statue of Kataragama deity in the inner chamber of the the image house of Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya

The figure of a female found in one of the dragon pantheon at the image house and features of the British emblem (must be Queen Victoria) - Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya

Maithree Bodhisattva seen on the other Dragon Arch in the image house of Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya

The Kurumbure Rajamaha Vihara grounds feature an ancient stone artifact considered to be the lower part of a Bodhisattva statue.

The library (Potgul Vihara) at Kurumbure Rajamaha Viharaya

References

Senaveratna, J. M. (1921). Antiquities in the Southern Province – Diary of the Late Mr. E. R. Ayrton. The Ceylon Antiquary and Literary Register, VII (part I), 38–41.
Wachissara, K. (1961). Valivita Saranankara and the Revival of Buddhism in Ceylon (Thesis Presented for the Degree of Ph. D. in the University of London). ProQuest LLC.
Wanarathna Thero, K. (1994). මාතර පුරා විද්‍යාත්මක ඉතිහාසය. Sri Rohana Sangha Sabha Center.

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Driving Directions to Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya

Route from Colombo to Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya	Route from Matara to Kurumbure Purwarama Rajamaha Viharaya
Through : Southern Expressway Distance : 175 km Travel time : 2.45 hours Driving directions : see on Google map	Through : Kekanadura Distance : 15 km Travel time : 30 minutes Driving directions : see on Google map