Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya

Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: බෙල්ලන්විල රජ මහා විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated in Colombo District, Sri Lanka.

History

The early history of the Bellanwila temple is not clear (de Thabrew, 2013). However, locals link the Bodhi tree of the temple to a history running back to the 3rd century B.C. The ancient text Mahabodhivamsa mentions the name Bellanwila as a place where one of the first 32 saplings that sprang from the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree at Anuradhapura was planted in the 3rd century B.C. Therefore, many believe that the Bodhi tree at the present Bellanwila temple is the same one mentioned in the Mahabodhivamsa. However, no firm archaeological evidence is available to prove this fact.

During the Kotte Period, the temple is believed to have received the royal patronage of King Parakramabahu VI (1412-1467 A.D.) along with its neighbouring Sunethradevi Pirivena, a monastic college and temple built by the king (de Thabrew, 2013).