Bothale Raja Maha Viharaya, built during King Gotabhaya’s reign, began where a sacred Bo sapling rooted overnight. It’s now a protected monument.
Bothale Raja Maha Viharaya Sri Gotabaya Raja Maha Viharaya or popularly known as Bothale Raja Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: බෝතලේ ශ්රී ගෝඨාභය රජ මහා විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated in Bothale village in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. The old wayside rest, Bothale Ambalama is located 1 km south of this temple. History The history of this temple runs back to the Anuradhapura Period . According to folklore, King Gotabhaya (254-267 A.D.) wanted to build a Viharaya at Attanagalla after King Sirisamghabodhi (252-254 A.D.) gave up his life there. He obtained a sapling from the Sri Maha Bodhi Tree at Anuradhapura to plant there and started the journey with his crew. On their way to Attanagalla, as the night approached, the group decided to spend that day at the village where the present temple stands. They placed the Bo sapling safely on slightly higher ground and spent the night. On the next day when the king and his crew were about to leave the place, they observed that the Bo sapling couldn't be moved from the …
