Menikkadawara Viharaya

Menikkadawara Viharaya

Menikkadawara Viharaya (Photo credit: Pasindu Chathurange, Google Street View) Menikkadawara Purana Viharaya , also known as Menikkadawara Tempita Viharaya (Sinhala: මැණික්කඩවර පුරාණ විහාරය), is a Buddhist temple situated in Menikkadawara village in Kegalle District, Sri Lanka. History According to local belief, the Bodhi tree at this temple is more than 1,000 years old (Abeyawardana, 2002). The 14th-century Thisara Sandeshaya mentioned this place as Ellakola (Abeyawardana, 2002). During the Portuguese occupation (1598-1607 A.D.), a Fortress was built in Menikkadawara and its ruins are still visible near the temple (Abeyawardana, 2002). The name Menikkadawara is found mentioned in the 16th-century war poem Kustantinu Hatana (Abeyawardana, 2002).  The Tempita Viharaya (the temple on pillars) building of this temple has been constructed during the Kandyan Period . Tempita Viharaya Tempita Viharas were a popular aspect of many Buddhist temples during the Kandyan period. These structures were usu…