Dimbula Raja Maha Viharaya

Dimbula Maliyadeva Raja Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: දිඹුල රජමහා විහාරය) 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…