Deliwala Kota Vehera

Deliwala Kota Vehera (Sinhala: දැලිවල කොට වෙහෙර) is an ancient Stupa located in the village of Deliwala in Kegalle District, Sri Lanka. It is considered one of the earliest Stupas in the country. History This temple is believed to have been constructed during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa [(247-207 B.C.) Abeyawardana, 2002]. Bricks with masonry marks in Brahmi Letters and some seal-impressed coins discovered from the site have confirmed that the Deliwala temple has a long history extending to the pre-Christian era (Abeyawardana, 2002). The temple was destroyed during the period of invasions carried out by Magha (1215–1236 A.D.) of Kalinga (Abeyawardana, 2002). It was restored again during the Buddhist Renaissance in the Kandyan Period (Abeyawardana, 2002). The Stupa and findings The colossal Stupa can be identified as the most interesting monument of the temple. It is a Kota Vehera-styled  Stupa (a squat Stupa) constructed of solid earth (natural mound of bedrock) thinly faced with br…