Uththararama Purana Viharaya (Udugampola)

Uththararama Purana Viharaya (Sinhala: උඩුගම්පල උත්තරාරාම පුරාණ විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated in the village of Udugampola in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka.

History

According to the available historical and archaeological evidence, Udugampola was an Upa-Rajadhani (sub-kingdom) which was ruled by deputies under the guidance of the king during the Kotte Period [(1412–1597 A.D.) Wijesuriya, 2015]. Several historical sources such as Rajavaliya and "Alakeshwara Yuddhaya" (The battle of Alakeshwara) reveal that King Sakalakala Wallabha (or Sakalakala Wallakabahu), one of the sons of King Vira Parakramabahu VIII (1484-1505 A.D.) had ruled this region (Suraweera, 1997). The others, Dharma Parakramabahu (1508/09–1528 A.D.), the eldest son of Vira Parakramabahu VIII became the king of Kotte and Prince Taniya Wallabha reigned the principality of Madampe. The palace of the king of Udugampola was built at the premises today known as Maliga-godella (the palace mound) where the Uththararama Viharaya is situated. Remains of the Royal Pond and its protective moat are still being identified at the site (Wijesuriya, 2015). Also, the names of several villages surrounding the Udugampola, bear similar pronunciations of various tasks and services attached to the royal palace (Wijesuriya, 2015).

References

1) Suraweera, A. V., 1997. Rajavaliya: A critical edition with an introduction (In Sinhala). Educational Publications Department. pp.91-92.
2) Wijesuriya, D., 2015. Administration of Udugampola, sub kingdom: A historical and archaeological legacy. 3rd Biennial Conference of the International Association for Asian Heritage, 27th - 28th December 2015, Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya & International Association for Asian Heritage (IAAH).

Location Map

This page was last updated on 22 July 2023