Pathahewaheta Thalawa Rajamaha Viharaya (පාතහේවාහැට මාරස්සන තලාව රජමහා විහාරය)

54 years ago1 week ago05 mins

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(3 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

Ancient image house of Thalawa Rajamaha Viharaya

Thalawa Rajamaha Viharaya is a small but picturesque ancient temple hidden on a walled plateau above a stream in the Patha Hewaheta in Kandy District.

Lewis provides and detailed description of this hidden temple in 1921. The old viharaya is a rectangular building with a good Kandyan tiled roof which is crowned by “koth“at both ends. The pekadas are painted red, white and two shades of blue. The verandah was supported by carved wooden pillars, but a corner wall at each end has recently been built to take the place of these. This of course is not an improvement except from the point of view of stability.

There are besides two pillars of that classical type which was introduced into Ceylon at the British occupation—really a reminiscence of bungalows in India. The gonas capitals of the Kandyan pillars are of gammala wood (Pterocarpus marsupium)—the best wood for carving.

The outer vestibule, or hewisi mandape, has been built out of the remains of the wahalkada and the wooden pillars that supported the roof. Framing the inner door are two ivory borders of leaf pattern and two outer strips, four over the door. The whole door frame was brought from Hanguranketa Palace. There are strips of ivory all over the door dividing the compartments.

The Vihare contains a stone sedent Buddha. The makara torana over the figure is supported by lions, not by dancing girls, as is usual. This image has yellow robes, whereas the standing Buddhas, one on each side, have red robes. The wall behind the figures is very handsomely painted with lotus flowers on stalks in low relief.

On the ceiling of the ante-chamber is painted ” the Great War ”—the Maha Yuddha. There are flags depicted displaying the heads of elephants, boars and birds. This ceiling has been repainted. There is also a picture of King Kirti Sri, in whose reign the temple was built.

The Vessantara Jatakaya and a portion of the Sivi Jatakaya which adorn the walls have also been repainted in their former style. This was very well done by Low-country painters in 1880. On the left is the Temiya Jatakaya as also ” the ten former Buddhas ” (dasa Buddhun) in their different states, alternately on each side.

There are besides paintings of “Kosala Maha Rajjuruwo,” Vishnu (in blue) and Natha, all represented as Kandyan or Sinhalese kings without extra arms, etc,, as in Hindu temples. There is a copper bowl standing on a three-legged stool, both good specimens of their kinds.

References

Lewis, J.P. (1921) “Kandyan Notes,” The Ceylon Antiquary Literary Register Volume VII 1921-1922, VII(Part II), p. 109.

Also See

Map of Pathahewaheta Thalawa Rajamaha Viharaya

Please click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map (ගූගල් සිතියම් පහලින්)

Show Location (ගූගල් සිතියම)

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.

Travel Directions to Pathahewaheta Thalawa Rajamaha Viharaya

From Pilimathalawa to Diyakelinawala Kithsiri Mewan Rajamaha Viharaya

Via : Haragama
Distance : 21 km
Travel time : 45 mins
Time to Spend : about 30 minutes
Driving directions : see on Googl e Map

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Matikumbura Kalawana Sri Sugatharamaya Tampita Viharaya (මැටිකුඹුර කලවාන ශ්‍රී සුගතාරාමය ටැම්පිට විහාරය)
Matikumbura Kalawana Sri Sugatharamaya Tampita Viharaya in Kurunegala District was declared a protected Archaeological Monument by the gazette dated 7th December 2001. […]
Ruins of Allirani Fort in Arasapuram, Kilinochchi (අරිසපුරම් අල්ලිරානි කොටුව නටබුන්)
Ruins found at Arasapuram are believed to be ruins of a fort of Queen Allirani by the locals. However, no formal archaeological excavation has been done on this site. These ruins most probably belonged to an ancient monastery built millennia ago. […]
A Ride Through the Historic Hamilton Canal (Dutch Canal)
The Hamilton Canal also known as the Dutch Canal and Paru Ela in Sinhalese, connecting Puttalam and Colombo, has a rich history dating back to the colonial era. It was first started by the Portuguese (1505–1656) who started cutting the waterway from the Kelani Ganga River. They built the canal to redirect river floods and protect fertile paddy land. […]
Negombo Lellama Fish Market : An Explosion of Colours
The Negombo Fish Market is a bustling hub of activity located in the coastal city of Negombo, Sri Lanka. It is renowned for its vibrant atmosphere and the wide variety of fresh seafood available for sale. Fishermen bring in their catches from the Indian Ocean, and the market comes alive with the sights, sounds, and smells of the sea. […]
Dutugemunu Pillar at Ruwanweli Seya (දුටුගැමුණු ශිලා ස්ථම්භය)
Many do not pay special attention to this pillar which is generally called "Dutugenumu Pillar" but the story behind this pillar is interesting as the construction of the Ruwanweli Seya itself. This pillar was installed by King Devanampiyatissa (250-210 BCE) on the advice of Mihindu Maha Thero. […]
Dalada Maligawa of Kurunegala Kingdom (කුරුණෑගල රාජධානියේ දළදා මාලිගාව)
The old city of Kurunegala Kingdom was spread between Kuruminigala and Ibbagala, bounded by Athugala. Even today ruins of the palace complex, the Temple of Tooth (Dalada Maligawa) and other buildings inside a semi-circular are found on this strip of land between Athugala and Kuruminigala. […]
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage (පින්නවල අලි අනථාගාරය)
The Pinnawela elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka was established in 1975 on a land area of nine hectares, a prime land of coconut plantation. At the inception there were only seven orphans. Some members of this generation now given birth to the second and third generation and the story continues. […]
Mihintale – The Cradle of Buddhism (මිහින්තලාව)
In the 3rd century BC, area of Mihintale (mihinthalaya) was a thick jungleand was a hunting ground reserved for the royals. All this changed in 250 BC when the son of the Indian Emperor Asoka, Mahinda Maha Thero arrived at the Mihintale (mihinthalaya) rock to meet king Devamnampiyatissa. […]
Kotte Kingdom (කෝට්ටේ රාජධානිය)
Kotte Kingdom was the capital of our island from 1415-1565 AD predominated by the long reign of Parakrama Bahu VI, the last Sinhala king who ruled a unified L anka. […]
Kotttapitiya Slab Inscription (කෝට්ටපිටිය පුවරු ලිපිය)
The Kotttapitiya Slab Inscription is considered one of the 14 valuable inscriptions of the Anuradhapura Era. The pillar inscription is believed to have been placed by King Mahinda IV (956-972) and is 6 feet in height and 1.5 feet wide. 45 lines of text have been inscribed on this pillar. […]
Gurugalhinna Megalithic Burial Grounds
Gurugalhinna Megalithic Cemetery was initially uncovered and examined in 1896 by R. W. Levers. Subsequently, in the 1970s, Raja De Silva from the Department of Archaeology led excavations at Gurugalhinna. However, the burials at the site have not been scientifically dated. […]
Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Burial Site in Maduru Oya Valley
In this Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Cemetery, scattered across the landscape, lie between 15 to 20 graves. Unfortunately, the peaceful serenity of these resting places has been disrupted by thorn bushes, which have taken root amidst many of the tombs. Adding to the desecration, some graves have fallen victim to the destructive hands of treasure hunters, who have ransacked them in search of valuables. […]
Ranawa Andiyagala Pillar Inscription (රණව ආඬියාගල ටැම් ලිපිය)
Placed by King Dappula IV in the early part of the 10th century, this Ranawa Andiyagala Pillar Inscription declares a sanctuary for Animal, Plants as well as Humans in the Namal Uyana area. Even royal guards were prohibited from entering this area to apprehend criminals. […]
Dambegoda Pillar Inscription in Maligawila (දඹේගොඩ ටැම් ලිපිය)
Established by King Mahinda IV (956-972) Dambegoda Pillar Inscription in Maligawila narrates the religious acts of the king and lays down rules for the administration of certain religious establishments. […]
Mihintale Slab Inscriptions and the Relic House (4වන මිහිඳු රජුගේ මිහින්තලේ පුවරු ලිපි)
The inscription of King Mahinda IV belonging to the tenth century is installed on the two sides of the entrance to this Vihara. The relic house is a square building. […]
King Agbo’s Kantale Wewa Reservoir
The picturesque Kantale Wewa ( tank) is the largest contribution of King Agbo II (608-618) who ruled only for 10 years. Renovation of the Kantale Wewa was carried out by Parakramabahu the Great (1153 - 1186) and has been not short of attention from the colonial times. […]
Ampara Nuwaragala Kanda Ruins
Nuwaragala, once the kingdom of Saddatissa, brother of King Dutugemunu, still boasts of ruins of an old castle and a rock pool built on top of the mountain. […]
Deanston Mini World’s End Drop (දුම්බර කඳුවැටියේ ඩීන්ස්ටන් කුඩා ලෝකාන්තය)
An 1.2 km trail from Deanston will take you the Mini World's End of Deanston, one of the two Mini World's End of knuckles Range. There are two view points where one provides a panoramic view of the Ududumbara town, Kandy-Mahiyangana road, Kalugala area and the other the knuckles range. […]

References

Also See

Map of Pathahewaheta Thalawa Rajamaha Viharaya

Travel Directions to Pathahewaheta Thalawa Rajamaha Viharaya

Share this:

Like this:

Leave a ReplyCancel reply