Ganeuda Purana Raja Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: වරකාගොඩ ගණේඋඩ පුරාණ විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated in Warakagoda village in Kalutara District, Sri Lanka.
History
The history of this site roots back to the Polonnaruwa Period. King Manabharana is credited with the construction of a palace in this area in the 12th century A.D. (Abeywardana, 2002). The remaining ruins of the building with carved stone pillars in the present Ganeuda temple premises are considered to be that palace built by Manabharana. Near the palace is another building with stone pillars, believed to be an old Temple of the Tooth used to shelter the Tooth Relic of the Buddha. However, an unfinished inscription on a rock close by enabled historians to attribute these ruins to the Kotte Period (Ray, 1960).
A Protected Site
The ancient stone pillars, the access road with the flight of steps in the temple territory, and the rocks with ancient letters and other archaeological signs found on both sides of the road within the land called Ganeudawatta adjoining the premises of Warakagoda Ganeuda Purana Rajamaha Vihara belonging to the Grama Niladhari Division No. 816, Warakagoda East in the Divisional Secretary’s Division of Madurawala are archaeological protected monuments, declared by the government Gazette notifications published on 16 June 1944, 17 May 2013 and 7 July 2016.
See Also
#) Warakagoda Weheragodella Stupa
References
1) Abeywardana, H.A.P., 2002. Heritage of Sabaragamuwa - Major Natural, Cultural and Historic Sites. Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka, pp.111-112.
2) Ray, H.C. (Editor in chief), 1960. History of Ceylon: Vol. I: Part II. Ceylon University Press. Colombo. p.788.
3) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, no: 9282, 16 June 1944.
4) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, no: 1811, 17 May 2013, p.423.
5) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka: Extraordinary. No: 1974/16. 7 July 2016. p.5A.
