Ibbagala Raja Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: ඉබ්බාගල රජ මහා විහාරය) is a Buddhist cave temple located near the Kurunegala ancient palace site in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka.
History
It is believed that Ibbagala Viharaya was the temple responsible for the services of the sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha during the Kurunegala Period (Anuradha & Kumari, 2015). The Siri Pathula (the footprint of the Buddha) which is found carved on the rock surface located northwest of the modern Stupa is said to have been carved on the orders of King Buwanekabahu II (1293-1302 A.D.) of Dambadeniya. According to a story, the mother of this king wished to go on a pilgrimage to Sri Pada mountain to venerate the sacred footprint of the Buddha. However, as she was not fit enough to climb the mountain, the king made a replica of the sacred footprint on the rock of the Ibbagala temple.
Temple
A natural cave located north of the Viharaya has been utilized as the main image house of the temple. A fragment of an ancient line painting that looks similar to the line paintings of the Anuradhapura Period can be seen in the cave. To the west of the monks' dwelling is a natural pond.
A protected site
The ancient drip-ledged cave temple of Ibbagala Raja Maha Vihara situated in the Kurunegala Divisional Secretariat Division is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government gazette notification published on 8 July 2005.
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Attribution
1) This image (Ibbagala Rock Temple1) has been released into the public domain by its creator, Kurun.2) This image (Bo Tree Ibbagala) has been released into the public domain by its creator, Kurun.
3) This image (Footprint Buddha Ibbagala Viharaya1) has been released into the public domain by its creator, Kurun.
References
1) Anuradha, R.K.S.; Kumari, A.S., 2015. Pauranika Sthana Saha Smaraka: Kurunegala Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka). ISBN: 955-9159-37-2. pp.8-9
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. no: 1401. 8 July 2005.
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. no: 1401. 8 July 2005.
Location Map
This page was last updated on 14 January 2023