Gonagiri Raja Maha Viharaya Gonagiri Raja Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: ගෝණගිරි රජමහා විහාරය) is a Buddhist cave temple complex situated near Kahatagasdigiliya town in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka. History This temple is believed to have been established during the reign of King Suratissa (247-237 B.C.) of Anuradhapura (Piyarathana Thero, 2015). The chronicle Mahavamsa (Chap: xxi) records that King Suratissa built a temple named Gonnagirika Viharaya in the eastern quarter of the city (Geiger, 1986; Nicholas, 1963). Many believe that Gonnagirika is non-other than the Gonagiri temple at the present site. A protected site The Gonagiri Rajamaha Vihara premises in the Grama Niladhari Wasama No. 230, Mahamessallawa in the Kahatagasdigiliya Divisional Secretary’s Division is an archaeological protected site, declared by a government notification published on 30 December 2011. References
1) Geiger, W., 1986. The Mahāvaṃsa, or, The Great Chronicle of Ceylon. Asian Educational Services, New Delhi. p.140. 2) Nicholas, C. W. , 196…
