Monastery at the Foot of the Mountain, also known as Maninaga Mandiraya (Sinhala: කඳු පාමුල ආරාම, මණිනාග මන්දිරය), is a ruined monastery complex situated north of Mihintale Mountain in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka.
As is evidenced by the remaining architectural elements, the history of this site dates back to the medieval Anuradhapura Period. The remaining ruins indicate that it was a Buddhist monastery of Panchawasa style.
The site is located between the Ancient Hospital Complex and the left of the main flight of steps of Mihintale rock. It consists of several ruined structures known as Parivena or the cells built as residences of the Buddhist monks in storied buildings. Mainly five buildings; four at the corners and one in the centre, are found on square land surrounded by a wall. The central building is believed to be a Buddha shrine while the other buildings are the residential quarters of monks.
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.
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This page was last updated on 10 October 2023