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Uduvila Gangarama Viharaya is a Buddhist temple lying between Weerawila and Thissamaharama in Uduvila Grama Niladhari Division in the District of Hambantota.
The temple is built at the summit of a natural mound on the right bank of the Kirindi Oya River which is reachable from the Ikkapallama Road on the Weerawila – Tissamaharama road. After travelling 1.5 km along this picturesque road through green paddy fields, you will come across the historic Uduwila Gangarama Vihara.
The Uduvila Gangarama Viharaya has undergone significant modernization, with considerable changes to the landscape during the construction of the new temple. The latest addition is the impressive “Nivan Maha Prakara,” a massive structure standing 28 feet tall, 900 feet long, and 20 feet wide. Designed on a grand scale, it allows visitors to closely observe and study the intricate three-dimensional sculptures of the moonstone.
This structure is thoughtfully designed with six steps, each representing different spiritual concepts: the first step symbolizes the Klesha Wall (the wall of defilements), the second step represents the Samsara Satyaya Wall (the wall of the truths of Samsara), the third step signifies the Tanha Wall (the wall of craving), the fourth step is the Hansa Peliya (the row of swans), the fifth step represents the Lotus Pond, and the sixth step embodies the Thervan Wall (the wall of the Triple Gem).
Despite the temple’s recent developments, there are still a few relics hinting at its ancient origins as a monastic complex from the Pre-Christian era. Near the stupa, you’ll find a cluster of undressed stone pillars that once supported an ancient building. Additionally, the top portion of a massive “Yupa Gala,” the central granite pillar from one of the earliest stupa designs, lies nearby. Next to it is a worn stone circle, believed to be the “Gal Chatra,” the stone umbrella that would have originally crowned the Yupa Gala.
References
- Somadeva, R. (2006). Urban Origins in Southern Sri Lanka (Doctoral thesis in archaeology at Uppsala University). Studies in Global Archaeology, Uppsala.
Also See
Map of Tissamaharama Uduvila Gangarama Viharaya
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Travel Directions to Tissamaharama Uduvila Gangarama Viharaya
| Route from Hambanthota to Tissamaharama Uduvila Gangarama Viharaya |
| Through: Tissamaharama Road Distance: 7 km Travel time:15 mins Driving directions: see on Google map |
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