Not to be confused with Kande Viharaya (Alutgama) and Kande Purana Viharaya, (Gorakana)
Kande Purana Viharaya (Sinhala: ඕපනායක කන්දේ පුරාණ විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated in Opanayaka in Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka.
History
This temple which had been covered by the jungle for a long time was discovered by Mahawalatenne Maha Adhikaram, the great-grandfather of Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranayaka (1916-2000) the first female Prime Minister in the world (Abeyawardana, 2002). The ancient painting and sculptures found in the Len Viharaya of this temple belong to the Kandyan Period (Abeyawardana, 2002).
A protected site
The drip-ledged cave temple with paintings and sculptures in the premises of Kande Purana Gallen Raja Maha Vihara in Kande Viharagama village in Opanayaka Divisional Secretary’s Division is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government gazette notification published on 8 July 2005.
References
1) Abeyawardana, H.A.P., 2002. Heritage of Sabaragamuwa: Major natural, cultural and historic sites. Sabaragamuwa Development Bank and The Central Bank of Sri Lanka. ISBN: 955-575-077-7. pp.25,28.
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1401. 8 July 2005.
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1401. 8 July 2005.
Location Map
This page was last updated on 2 July 2022
