Uruwala Valagamba Raja Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: ඌරුවල වලගම්බා රජ මහා විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple located in the village of Buthpitiya (North) in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. The temple is situated on the wayside of the Wathurugama road about 6 km distance from the Yakkala Junction.
History
Although there is no firm evidence, locals link the history of this temple to the time of King Valagamba (103 B.C., 89–77 B.C.). The rock cave that houses the image house today is a drip-ledged one and therefore, it can be assumed that the cave was an abode of Buddhist monks since ancient times. The cave temples at Koskandawala, Maligathenna, Varana, Miriswatta, and Pilikuththuwa which are situated in the vicinity of Uruwala temple are said to have formed one major cave site during the early part of the Anuradhapura Period.
The large drip-ledged cave which houses the temple image house is adorned with paintings and sculptures of the Buddhist tradition.
A Protected Site
The old Poya Geya (Chapter House), drip-ledged caves, the ancient Bodhi tree, and its rampart in the Uruwala Walagamba Raja Maha Viharaya situated in the Divisional Secretary’s Division of Mahara are archaeological protected monuments, declared by a government gazette notification published on 8 July 2005.
See Also
#) Historical and Memorial Trees in Sri Lanka
References
1) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1401. 8 July 2005.
