Girihandu Viharaya (Ambalantota) Not to be confused with Girihanduseya (Thiriyaya) Girihandu Viharaya or Girihandu Vehera (Sinhala: අම්බලන්තොට ගිරිහඬු විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated on the bank of Walawe Ganga river in Ambalantota in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka. History
Although written sources do not provide information on Girihandu Viharaya, it is believed that this temple was constructed during the Anuradhapura Period (Abeyawardana, 2004). Excavations carried out at this site unearthed a large number of artefacts and monuments belonging to the 5th-8th centuries A.D. (see the below "Excavations & findings" part). Due to the discovery of several Bodhisattva statues, it is thought that this temple was under the influence of Mahayana Buddhism (Abeyawardana, 2004). The hair-relic of the Buddha Pujavaliya , a chronicle of the 13th century A.D., records that two sea-faring merchants named Tapassu and Bhalluka erected a Stupa at Girihandu in Sri Lanka by enshrining the hair-relics of the Buddha (Parana…
