Thuwakkugalawatta Purana Viharaya is a Buddhist temple situated in Weliwatta village in Galle District, Sri Lanka.
History
Although there is no certain evidence about its establishment, it is suggested that this temple was built before the Portuguese Period [(1505-1658 A.D.) Ranchagoda, 2015]. The temple is believed to have been under the influence of the Portuguese as it was later used as a their guardroom (Ranchagoda, 2015). However, the temple saw a revival again in about 1816 (Ranchagoda, 2015).
There is a gun (Sinhala: Thuwakkuwa) shape mark on the rock of this temple and therefore, this site is presently called Thuwakkugala Viharaya [(the gun-rock temple) Ranchagoda, 2015]. A cannon which is believed to have been used during the Portuguese period was in the possession of the temple and presently it is housed in the National Museum of Galle (Ranchagoda, 2015).
A protected site
The ancient image house in the Thuwakkugala Watta Purana Vihara premises belonging to the Weliwatta Village in the Grama Niladhari Wasama No. 97A, Weliwatta of the Galle Four Gravets Divisional Secretary’s Division is an
archaeological protected monument, declared by a government gazette
notification published on 30 December 2011.
References
1) Ranchagoda, T. O., 2015. Pauranika Sthana Ha Smaraka: Galla Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. ISBN:955-9159-53-4. pp.61-62.
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, no: 1739. 30 December 2011.p.1092.
Location Map
This page was last updated on 5 March 2023
