Suduhumpola Raja Maha Viharaya

Suduhumpola Raja Maha Viharaya
Suduhumpola Raja Maha Viharaya, also known as Sri Narendrarama Viharaya (Sinhala: සුදුහුම්පොල රජමහා විහාරය), is a Buddhist temple situated in Suriyagoda village in Kandy District, Sri Lanka.

History
The history of this temple runs back to the 18th century. It is said that this temple was established by Munwatte Rajakaruna Wijewardhana Navaratna Wasala Mudiyanse Ralahami at the request of King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe [(1747-1782 A.D.) Abeyawardana, 2004; Withanachchi, 2018]. The completed temple was bestowed to Ven. Kaduwela Nagasena Thera and his pupillary succession in 1771 (Abeyawardana, 2004; Withanachchi, 2018).

The temple also provided facilities to the monks who came to Kandy for the Upasampada Vinaya Karma (Withanachchi, 2018). Ven. Wariyapola Sri Sumangala Thera, the Anunayaka of Asgiri Maha Viharaya of Siyam sect. is said to have served the Tooth Relic of the Buddha while staying at this temple (Rajapakse, 2016; Withanachchi, 2018).

Image house
The image house of this temple can be identified as the main monument with archaeological value. A large seated Buddha statue in the Virasana posture depicting Dyana Mudra is found inside the image house (Abeyawardana, 2004). Paintings belonging to the Kandyan art tradition adorn the inner walls of the image house. Artists from South India are said to have involved in the temple works (Withanachchi, 2018).

A protected site
The image house of Suduhumpola Raja Maha Vihara situated in the Suduhumpola Grama Niladhari Division in the Gangawata Koralaya, Divisional Secretary’s Division is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government gazette notification published on 21 October 2010. 

Attribution
1) LankaPradeepa.com would like to thank Mohan Lakshitha for providing the necessary photographs required for this article. All the photos are published here with the permission of the author.
 
References
1) Abeyawardana, H.A.P., 2004. Heritage of Kandurata: Major natural, cultural and historic sites. Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka. p.31.
2) Rajapakse, S., 2016. Pauranika Sthana Ha Smaraka: Mahanuwara Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka. ISBN:955-9159-34-8. pp.29-32.
3) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1677. 21 October 2010. p.1750.
4) 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. pp.11-12.

Location Map
This page was last updated on 7 January2023
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