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Pananwela Ganegoda Rajamaha Viharaya (පනන්වෙල ගනේගොඩ රජමහා විහාරය)

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Pananwela Ganegoda Rajamaha Viharaya is located in the village of Pananwela, situated between Hakmana and Walasmulla in the Matara District. To reach the temple, you need to travel 7 km from Hakmana along the Walasmulla road until you arrive at Mee Ella junction. From there, a right turn followed by a 425-meter drive will bring you to this modernized temple.

The name “Pananwela” is believed to have originated after the 14th century when the coin known as “Panama” was introduced to the island.

At the top of the hill at the temple stands an ancient stupa that has been reconstructed. Two stone relic caskets and some Buddha statues, originally found in the relic chamber of the ancient stupa, were removed and not re-deposited in the new stupa.

Relics of Patanwela Rajamaha Viharaya

These relic caskets consist only of the dome and “Hatharas Kotuwa” sections, missing the pinnacle, similar to those found in ancient stupas such as Abhayagiri Viharaya in Anuradhapura. This suggests they date back to a period before pinnacles (Koth Kerella) were introduced to Sri Lankan stupas, around the 2nd century. As a result, these caskets are believed to belong to the early Anuradhapura period.

The metal statues discovered are thought to originate from different time periods. One statue, depicting the Buddha seated beneath a Bo Tree, has a broken headdress, showing signs of wear. Another statue features the Buddha in the “Bhumisparsha” mudra, but with an unusual outward-facing palm, unlike the typical inward-facing palm. Statues with this mudra are rare in Sri Lanka, and the headdress (siraspatha) also differs, suggesting that this statue may have originated from another country and was donated to the temple.

In 1900, a Buddha statue was found in a pond under a large ebony tree near the stupa. This statue, weighing about 80 pounds (36 kg) and standing 1 foot tall, is crafted in the Samadhi Mudra. Based on its headdress style (siraspatha), it is believed to be from the later stage of the Anuradhapura era. A similar headdress style was also used in the Polonnaruwa era, and a comparable statue was discovered in the Suthighara Stupa in Kegalle, built by King Parakramabahu the Great (1153-1186). The headdress on the Pananwela statue is thought to be older. Ruins of an image house can also be found near the pond.

Adjacent to the stupa is an ancient Sri Pathul Gala, a slab measuring 9×5 feet, bearing a carved footprint of the Buddha, measuring 5×2½ feet. Since the worship of Sri Pathul Gala predates the creation of Buddha statues, this temple likely dates back to the early to mid Anuradhapura period.

References

Wanarathna Thero, K. (1994). මාතර පුරා විද්‍යාත්මක ඉතිහාසය. Sri Rohana Sangha Sabha Center.

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Travel Directions to Pananwela Ganegoda Rajamaha Viharaya

From Matara to Pananwela Ganegoda Rajamaha Viharaya

Via : Hakmana
Distance : 30 km
Travel time : 50 mins
Time to Spend : about 30 minutes
Driving directions : see on Googl e Map

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