|
The Stupa at Kshetrarama Maha Viharaya |
Kshetrarama Maha Viharaya, also known as Kekirideniya Pansala (Sinhala: ලක්ෂපතිය ක්ෂේත්රාරාම මහා විහාරය, කැකිරිදෙණිය පන්සල), is a Buddhist temple located in Lakshapathiya village in Moratuwa, Colombo District, Sri Lanka. The temple can be reached by travelling about 1.6 km along the De Mel road from Katubedda junction.
History
Kshetrarama temple was established in 1829 by the chief monk Ven. Weligama Sri Sumanatissa Thera who was at the time residing at Walane Saranapala Maha Viharaya. The occupation ceremony of the monks' dwelling is said to have taken place in 1889, after performing the religious rituals for the death of Weligama Sri Sumanatissa Thera.
Monuments
Among the monuments of archaeological interest, the old image house and the two-storied Seema Malakaya building are important. The Seema Malakaya building in Kshetrarama Viharaya is considered a rare and unique monument as its architectural features are not seen at any other Buddhist temples in the country. It bears architectural patterns belonging to the period of the Second World War (1939 – 1945).
The old image house is a small quadrangular structure and can be seen on the right side of the main entrance. Only a rock-cut Buddha statue, its halo, and a stone flower altar are found inside the image house. It seems that the original appearance of the image house has been altered due to the renovations done recently.
The library of the temple also contains a large number of valuable Ola-leaf manuscripts such as Tripitaka and other religious writings.
