Rotumba Budugala Viharaya (Sinhala: රොටුඹ බුදුගල විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple in Rotumba village in Matara District, Sri Lanka. The waterfall Bisodola Ella is located 1.1 northwest of this temple.
According to local belief, the history of Budugala Viharaya runs back to the period of King Valagamba (103, 88-77 B.C.) of Anuradhapura. The existence of drip-ledged caves in the temple premises indicates that this temple has its roots extending to a very early period. Also, the Brahmi Inscription on the temple grounds is evidence for proving the antiquity of the temple.
The present temple is said to have been constructed in 1906 (Dissanayaka, 2024). Of two cave temples at the site, one contains an 18-cubit recumbent Buddha statue (Wikramaratne, 2015).
A protected site
The two drip-ledged cave temples in the Rotumba Budugala Raja Maha Vihara premises situated in the Galketa Kanda Grama Niladhari Division in the Pasgoda Divisional Secretary’s Division are archaeological protected monuments, declared by a government Gazette notification published on 24 July 2009.
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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) Dissanayaka, S. B., 2024. 2009 Varshaya Sandaha Puravidya Generalge Palana Varthawa (In Sinhala). Department of Archaeology. ISBN: 978-955-9159-70-4. p.102.
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1612. 24 July 2009. p.1022.
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1612. 24 July 2009. p.1022.
3) Wikramaratne, I., 2015. Pauranika Sthana Saha Smaraka: Matara Distrikkaya (In Sinhala). Department of Archaeology (Sri Lanka). ISBN: 955-9159-54-2. p.46.
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This page was last updated on 5 November 2023