Sri Naga Viharaya in Srawasthipura, Anuradhapura has a 1st-century rock inscription by King Mahadathika Mahanaga near its Stupa.
Sri Naga Viharaya (Srawasthipura) Not to be confused with Sri Naga Viharaya (Jaffna) S ri Naga Viharaya (Sinhala: ශ්රාවස්තිපුර ශ්රී නාග විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated in Srawasthipura village in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka. The Maharathmale inscription of King Mahadathika Mahanaga (7-19 A.D.) of Anuradhapura is found engraved on the rock near the Stupa of this temple. History The history of this site dates back to the 1st century A.D. as a rock inscription of King Mahadathika Mahanaga (7-19 A.D.) has been found at the premises (Paranavitana, 1983). The inscription consists of 4 lines and covers an area of 11 ft. 10 in. by 2 ft. 6 in. (Paranavitana, 1983; Wickremasinghe, 1912). The ancient name of the monastery at the site, which benefited from the grant recorded in the epigraph has been given but has been lost by the peeling away of some of the letters in the third line (Paranavitana, 1983). Reign: Mahadathika Mahanaga (7-19 A.D.) Period: 1st century A.D. Script: Later Brahmi Language: Old Sinhala Content: An insc…
