Dimbula Raja Maha Viharaya

Dimbula Maliyadeva Raja Maha Viharaya is a Buddhist temple situated in Methagama village in Nuwara Eliya District, Sri Lanka.
History
According to folklore, this temple has got its name because of its association with Arhat Maliyadeva Thera, the last Arhat of Sri Lanka (Wijesinghe, 2015). Although it is said that Maliyadeva Thera rested at this place under a Dimbul tree, no evidence is there to prove that belief (Wijesinghe, 2015; Withanachchi, 2018).
 
This temple was an important religious place during the 15th century as its name is mentioned in the "Nampotha", an ancient Sinhalese text that lists the principal Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka (Withanachchi, 2018). According to the text called Kothmale Puravrutha, there had been five wooden Buddha images covered with mortar kept in this temple (Abeyawardana, 2004). Of these five statues, three are still preserved in the Viharaya (Abeyawardana, 2004). 
 
The 50 ft. long image house contains a number of statues including a large Buddha statue (Withanachchi, 2018). Among them, the two statues depicting King Kosol and ‘Ane Pindu Situ Thuma’ are considered rare (Withanachchi, 2018).

References
1) Abeyawardana, H.A.P., 2004. Heritage of Kandurata: Major natural, cultural and historic sites. Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka. p.229.
2) Wijesinghe, T.K., 2015. Pauranika Sthana Saha Smaraka: Nuwara Eliya Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka). ISBN: 955-9159-36-4. pp.74-75.
3) Withanachchi, C.R., 2018. Madyama palate Rajamaha Viharasthana (In Sinhala). Report on the ancient Buddhist temples in the Central Province of Sri Lanka which were royally sponsored during the Kandy period. p.28.

Location Map
This page was last updated on 26 June 2021
For a complete tourist map follow this link: Lankapradeepa Tourist Map
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