Wegiriya Natha Devalaya
Wegiriya Natha Devalaya (Sinhala: වේගිරිය නාථ දේවාලය) Vegiriya Devalaya is a Devalaya Shrine situated in Wegiriya village in Kandy District, Sri Lanka. It has been dedicated to God Natha, a local deity who was highly venerated by the people along with other deities such as Visnu, Skanda, and Pattini during the Kandyan Period . Natha is considered one of the deities of the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon and people believe him as an aspirant Buddha. History Due to the presence of an Early Brahmi Cave Inscription , the history of this site can be dated back to the pre-Christian era ( Paranavitana, 1970 ). Locals believe that some of the companions of Sanghamitta Theri, the daughter of the Indian Emperor Asoka (c. 268-232 B.C.), had taken up residence in the caves in this area (Abeyawardana, 2004). The Natha worship is said to have prevailed in Sri Lanka since the 6-7th century A.D. and therefore, this Devalaya shrine may have been erected during that period (Abeyawardana, 2004). However, according…