Rekawa Jayamaha Viharaya Not to be confused with Uththara Jayamaha Viharaya J ayamaha Viharaya (Sinhala: රැකව ජයමහ විහාරය) is a Buddhist temple situated east of the Rekawa Lagoon in Rekawa village in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka. History The history of the Jayamaha Viharaya runs back to the 18th century A.D. and it is considered the oldest Buddhist temple in the Rekawa area. The elite people of the Karava clan are said to have contributed to the development of the temple. A stone Penthaliya (a water container) engraved with the year 1860 and a Stupa-shaped monument of a Buddhist monk named Pagngnasara with the date 1899 is found on the temple premises (Abeyawardana, 2004). An elaborately carved wooden chair used by monks to deliver sermons is also preserved in the temple. The Temple The temple mainly consists of an image house, a monks' dwelling, a preaching hall and a Stupa . The monks' dwelling and the image house show architectural features of the Dutch Period (1640-1796 A.D.) and the paintings in the i…
