Senanayaka Mudalindaramaya

Senanayaka Mudalindaramaya (Photo credit: Ishara Dheshan, Google Street View)

Senanayaka Mudalindaramaya (Sinhala: සේනානායක මුදලින්දාරාමය) is a Buddhist temple situated in Pirisyala village in Ambepussa in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. The temple is popular among devotees due to its large reclining Buddha statue which is considered one of the longest statues in the country.

History

Don Spater Senanayake (1847-1907), the father of Don Stephen Senanayake (1884-1952) who became the first Prime Minister of Sri Lanka bestowed one of his abodes Thiruwana Walauwa with all its furniture and fittings to the Ven. Kokatiyagollewe Sri Bharathindra Thera in celebration of the birth of his grandson Dudley Shelton Senanayake on 19 June 1911. Dudley Shelton Senanayake served as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 1952 to 1953 (first term as the second prime minister of Ceylon), in 1960 (second term) and from 1965 to 1970 (third term).

After the independence of Sri Lanka from the British in 1948, a Pirivena was established on the temple premises to improve the education of Buddhist monks.