Seethawaka’s Berendi Kovil is a ruined 16th‑century Hindu temple built by King Rajasinghe I, once dedicated to Kali, now a protected monument.
Berendi Kovil B erendi Kovil (Sinhala: බැරණ්ඩි කෝවිල; Tamil: பெரண்டி கோயில்) is a ruined Hindu temple situated in Sitawaka in Kegalle District, Sri Lanka. History The history of Berendi Kovil runs back to the middle of the 16th century (Bell, 1904). Although some believe that Berendi Kovil was built by King Mayadunna (1521-1581 A.D.), the majority are in the belief that this was built by his son, King Rajasinghe I (1581-1593 A.D.). Local tradition says that Rajasinghe I built this shrine after embracing Hinduism in his efforts to escape from the curse of murdering his father, Mayadunna (Bell, 1904; Abeyawardana, 2002). As a result of this deed and his other anti-Buddhist measurements, Rajasinghe I lost his grace among the people of the kingdom (Bell, 1904). Arittakivendu Perumal, the Hindu priest who converted the king to Hinduism is said to have guided in the construction of this shrine (Abeyawardana, 2002). The name Berendi Kovil is said to be the corrupted version of Berendu Kovil which means &quo…
