Thalalla Lanka Viharaya is an ancient Buddhist temple with 6–7th century roots, likely destroyed by the Portuguese during coastal invasions.
Thalalla Lanka Viharaya L anka Viharaya (Sinhala: තලල්ල ලංකා විහාරය) is a Buddhiat temple situated between Talalla and Na-otunna villages in Matara District, Sri Lanka. History As the present temple is located near the Na-otunna village, it is believed by locals that the ancient name of this temple could be Nagawaddana (Vanarathana, 1994). The chronicle Mahavamsa mentions that Dappula who fled to Ruhuna abandoning his throne at Anuradhapura built a Viharaya in Nagavaddana and made donations to it in the 7th century A.D. A verse in the Sigiri Graffiti records a person named Bud came from Nawadunna (Vanarathana, 1994). The Devinuwara Slab Inscription of King Vijayabahu VI (1509-1521 A.D.) of Kotte also mentions the name Nawadunna (Vanarathana, 1994). The ruins of some ancient buildings were unearthed on the Talalla Lanka Viharaya premises and they are believed to be the remnants of structures belonging to the middle part of the Anuradhapura Period (Vanarathana, 1994). The size of the bricks as well as the two coins…
