Uchchavalika Viharaya (Sinhala: උච්චවාලික විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple in Bolana in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka. It is situated about 2.5 miles away from Ambalantota on Ridiyagama road beside the left bank of the Walawe Ganga River.
History
There was a Buddhist temple named Uccavalika or Uccatalanka Viharaya probably in the Mahagama area (present Hambantota area) in the 1st century B.C. (Nicholas, 1963). The present Viharaya at the site is believed by many as that ancient temple mentioned in the chronicles.
Presently the site consists of a conserved image house and two old Stupas and a dilapidated image house with the remains of a broken Buddha statue in the Samadhi posture. The two Stupas have been built on raised terraces. The conserved image house consists of two sections; the sanctum and the verandah. A standing Buddha statue unearthed from this place is said to have been brought to Colombo National Museum.
A protected site
The old Stupa, image house, ruins of buildings and Stupa mounds in the Mahabolana-Uchchawalitha Rajamaha Vihara premises in the Grama Niladhari Wasama No. 140, Bolana South of the Ambalantota Divisional Secretary’s Division are archaeological protected monuments, declared by a government gazette notification published on 30 December 2011.
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Attribution
#) LankaPradeepa.com extends its gratitude to Lalith Kekulthotuwage for providing the necessary photographs required for this article. All the photos are published here with the permission of the author.
References
1) Nicholas, C. W., 1963. Historical topography of ancient and medieval Ceylon. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, New Series (Vol VI). Special Number: Colombo. Royal Asiatic Society (Ceylon Branch). p.65.
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1739. 30 December 2011. p.1092.
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This page was last updated on 7 November 2023
