Nadeethirarama Viharaya, also known as Garanduwa Raja Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: ගරාඬුව නදීතීරාරාම විහාරය), is a Buddhist temple situated by the Garanduwa Lagoon in Mirissa in Matara District, Sri Lanka.
Folklore links the construction of this temple to the reign of King Vijayabahu I (1055-1110 A.D.) of Polonnaruwa (Wikramaratne, 2015). The Stupa, image house, monks' dwelling and pond are considered the old monuments of the temple (Wikramaratne, 2015). The image house preserves a collection of murals depicting Buddhist themes such as the Suvisi Vivaranaya (Buddha to be receiving the blessing from 24 previous Buddhas) and 80 disciples. These paintings are said to have been done by a guild of artists in Garanduwa who were responsible for painting works during the 18th century (Abeyawardana, 2004).
See also
References
1) Abeyawardana, H.A.P., 2004. Heritage of Ruhuna: Major natural,
cultural and historic sites. Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
ISBN: 955-575-073-4. p.60.
2) Wikramaratne, I., 2015. Pauranika Sthana Saha Smaraka: Matara Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka). ISBN: 955-9159-54-2. p.51.
Location Map
This page was last updated on 12 October 2023