Yathurugahuliyadda Rajamaha Viharaya at Mawela – මාවෙල යතුරුගැහූලියද්ද රජමහා විහාරය

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Written history of Kothmale goes as far as early 3rd century BC, to the era when the mighty king Dutugemunu was a young prince hiding from his father and the capital of Anuradhapura was ruled by the invading king Elara.

Therefore Kothmale is full of legends of prince Gemunu from the places he bathed and farmed. Yathurugahuliyadda Rajamaha Viharaya in Mawela is another place which is shrouded with legends of prince Gemunu.

It is said that after arriving and settling a house of a farmer as a farm boy he wanted to cultivate a paddy field. He had got on top a rock called Galapitagala and thrown a Kulla (winnowing fan) to select an suitable area for his field.  Kulla is called Yathura in the  the paddy farming lexicon. The temple is said to have been built on the location the “Yathura” had fallen. The name of the area is derived from the same event meaning the field where the “Yathura” fell.

Yathurugahuliyadda Rajamaha Viharaya consist of a mixture of new and old buildings and still retains the old charm of a village temple. The current temple has been built during the Kandyan era. The image house at the temple is an art gallery of the Kandyan Art. It is built with a inner and outer chamber. The outer chamber is open and is covered with a half height wall. The outer walls of the inner chamber is covered in fading paintings belonging to Kandyan era.

Access to the inner chamber is through an elaborate dragons arch. Eight deities are molded beside the Kimbisi Muhuna of the arch. Two lions stand at the bottom of the entrance and two guardian deities stand next to these lions.

The ancient Bodhi is said to be a sapling of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi of Anuradhapura. In addition you will find some granite artifacts including a large carved Siri Pathula Gala and a granite oil lamp.

The temple can be reached from Gampola passing the dam, Kothmale Seya and the Morape Kataragama Devalaya. The narrow road to the temple lies 1 km pass the Kataragama Devalaya.

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Map of Yathurugahuliyadda Rajamaha Viharaya

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Traveling Directions to Yathurugahuliyadda Rajamaha Viharaya

Route from Gampola to Yathurugahuliyadda Rajamaha Viharaya

Though : Ulapane
distance : 23 km
Travel time : 60 hours
Driving directions : see on google map

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