Soragune Devalaya

Soragune Devalaya
Photo credit: Suranjan Fernando, Google Street View

Soragune Devalaya (also known as Soragune Kuda Katharagama Devalaya) is a Devalaya Shrine situated in Soraguna village in Haldummulla in Badulla District, Sri Lanka. It has been dedicated to God Kataragama, a Sinhalese deity who is considered as one of the patron deities of the Buddha Sasana in Sri Lanka. 

History
The history of Soragune Devalaya can be dated back to the 16th century (Uduwara, 1990). According to the ola document which contains the history of this shrine, a village named Medagama had been bestowed to gods by a ruler named Udarata Yapa after he was cured from a throat ailment he was affected with (Uduwara, 1990). It is said that the name of this village (Medagama) underwent a change and began to call as Soragune when Udarata Yapa regained his voice in this village (Uduwara, 1990). Later, a Devalaya dedicated to God Kataragama was constructed at this site by the name Medagama Kuda Kataragama Devalaya (Priyadarshani & Gunasena, 2017; Uduwara, 1990).

The Devalaya was destroyed during the 1818 Uva–Wellassa uprising that occurred between native Kandyan rebels and the British (Uduwara, 1990).  After that the shrine was restored time to time, and it was conserved to the present state by the Department of Archaeology by 1988 (Uduwara, 1990).

The shrine
The Devalaya complex consist of Devala Maligaya, Dig-ge, Gabada-ge, Aramudal-ge, Sinhasana Mandiraya, Stupa, Bodhi Tree and a Vihara. An ancillary shrine dedicated to Goddess Pattini is also located at the site. The architecture of these buildings display features of the Kandyan Period.

A protected site
The Soragune Devale located in Soraguna village in the Haputale Divisional Secretary’s Division is an  archaeological protected monument, declared by a government gazette notification published on 30 November 1979.

References
1) Priyadarshani, S.A.N.; Gunasena, I.P.P., 2017. Pauranika Sthana Ha Smaraka: Badulla Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Department of Archaeology. ISBN: 955-9159-48-8. pp.11-12.
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, no: 65. 30 November 1979.
3) Uduwara, J., 1990. Section V: History of the Department of Archaeology: 1970-1990. (Editor in chief: Wijesekara, N.) Archaeological Department Centenary (1890-1990): History of the Department of Archaeology. Vol. 1. Commissioner of Archaeology. pp.185-186.

Location Map
This page was last updated on 9 June 2022
For a complete tourist map follow this link: Lankapradeepa Tourist Map

Post a Comment

Cookie Consent
We serve cookies on this site to analyze traffic, remember your preferences, and optimize your experience.
Oops!
It seems there is something wrong with your internet connection. Please connect to the internet and start browsing again.
AdBlock Detected!
We have detected that you are using adblocking plugin in your browser.
The revenue we earn by the advertisements is used to manage this website, we request you to whitelist our website in your adblocking plugin.
Site is Blocked
Sorry! This site is not available in your country.