Gorakana Kande Purana Viharaya, a historic Buddhist temple, dates back to 1796. Notable inscriptions record land donations in the 19th century.
Gorakana Kande Purana Viharaya Not to be confused with Kande Purana Viharaya, Opanayaka and Kande Viharaya, Alutgama Gorakana Purana Kande Viharaya (Photo credit: Google Street View) Kande Purana Raja Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: ගොරකාන කන්දේ පුරාණ රජ මහා විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated in Gorakana village in Kalutara District, Sri Lanka. History According to folklore, this place was an aristocratic house before it became a temple. Some believe that this temple was established by a prince named Sirideva who lived during the Kotte Period (Kodithuwakku, 2022). As mentioned in the inscriptions in situ, the temple has a history running back to the 18th century. The inscription engraved on the stone door frame of the image house of this temple mentions the year 1796 A.D. [(the Buddhist year 2339) Kodithuwakku, 2022]. Text: සුගතාබ්දම් ධීගගෝත්රම් ගොරකාන කන්දෙ විහාරය Translation: Buddhist Year 2339 Gorakana Kande Viharaya. Note: This inscription has been written following the ancient Katapaya system. Also, a boundary stone around …
