Samanak Khanda Purana Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: සමණක් ඛන්ධ පුරාණ මහා විහාරය, පයාගල ගෝමරකන්ද සමණක්කන්ද පුරාණ විහාරය), is a Buddhist temple situated in Gomarakanda village near Payagala in Kalutara District, Sri Lanka.
The image house of the temple contains paintings and sculptures belonging to the Kandyan art tradition. The recumbent and standing Buddha statues show some primary features of the Kandyan Period. Some believe that Samanakkanda could be the ancient Payyagala temple that is mentioned in the Gira Sandeshaya of the Kotte Period. However, according to the opinion of some, Samanakkanda is not that temple but the Veheragalakanda Viharaya that is located nearby (Abeywardana, 2002).
An unclear record mentioning about a two-storied preaching hall built in 1817 is also said to have been found from the temple premises. The foundation stone of the present Stupa at the site has been laid in 1946 by the former Speaker of the Parliament, Stanley Thilakaratne.
A protected site
The ancient image house belonging to the Gomarankanda Samanakkanda Purana Vihara situated in the Grama Niladhari Division of Pothuwila-west (Grama Niladhari No. 740-A) in Beruwala Divisional Secretary’s Division is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government Gazette notification published on 23 November 2012.
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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) Abeywardana, H.A.P., 2002. Heritage of Sabaragamuwa - Major Natural, Cultural and Historic Sites. Colombo: The Central Bank of Sri Lanka, p.106.
2) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1786. 23 November 2012. p.1188.
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This page was last updated on 2 October 2023