Pasgama Viharaya and Natha Devalaya

Pasgama Viharaya and Natha Devalaya (Photo credit: Google Street View)

Pasgama Raja Maha Viharaya & Natha Devalaya (Sinhala: පස්ගම රජ මහා විහාරය සහ නාථ දේවාලය) is a Buddhist temple and a Devalaya Shrine situated in Pasgama village in Kandy District, Sri Lanka. The Devalaya has been dedicated to God Natha, one of the deities of the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon who is believed by people as an aspirant Buddha.

History

Although the Devalaya shrine at this site has gained the attention of the devotees today, in the past the Viharaya was more prominent (Abeyawardana, 2004). It is believed that the Bodhi tree of this Viharaya is a sapling of the Bodhi tree at Anuradhapura (Abeyawardana, 2004). King Gajabahu I (114-136 A.D.) of Anuradhapura is said to be the one who established Pasgama Viharaya and offered land to it (Abeyawardana, 2004). The name of this temple is mentioned in Nampota, an ancient Sinhalese text which is considered to have been compiled after the 14th century A.D.

The Devalaya shrine for God Natha is said to have been erected at the present site by King Vikramabahu III (1357-1374 A.D.) of Gampola (Abeyawardana, 2004). According to local belief, the statue placed in the shrine has been brought here from Dumbara (Abeyawardana, 2004).

A protected site

The Pasgama Sri Natha Devale premises and its ancient buildings and other archaeological remains, the street and the throne hall situated within the limits of East Hewawissa Grama Niladhari Division in the Patha Hewaheta Divisional Secretary’s Division are archaeological protected monuments, declared by a government gazette notification published on 8 April 2009.

References

1) Abeyawardana, H.A.P., 2004. Heritage of Kandurata: Major natural, cultural and historic sites. Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka. pp.57-58.
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, no: 1597. 8 April 2009. p.445.

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This page was last updated on 23 April 2023