Gangarama Viharaya, Kandy Gangarama Viharaya (Sinhala: ගංගාරාම විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated in Talwatta (ancient Talavana) village in Kandy District, Sri Lanka. The temple can be reached by travelling along the Kandy-Lewella road about 4.2 km distance from Kandy town. The name The temple stands at the eastern foothills of the Udawattakele Forest near the Mahaweli Ganga river. In the Sinhala language, Gangarama means the "River monastery". It is so named because of its proximity to the Mahaweli Ganga river (Chutiwongs et al., 1990). It is said that the highway which is presently fallen through Gangarama was an ancient route that linked several old villages such as Sirimalwatta , Amunugama, Degaldoruwa, etc (Chutiwongs et al., 1990). As revealed by the inscription, which is in the temple premises, this route had been used by royalty in reaching a bathing site at the river (Chutiwongs et al., 1990). History As is evidenced by the rock inscription as well as by the old standing Buddha statue in the …
