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Suriyapokuna Raja Maha Viharaya |
Suriyapokuna Raja Maha Viharaya, also known as Suriyapokuna Rankoth Vehera Rajamaha Viharaya (Sinhala: සූරියපොකුණ රන්කොත් වෙහෙර රජමහා විහාරය), is a Buddhist temple situated in Suriyapokuna village in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka.
History
Suriyapokuna is a rural village about half a kilometre from the Middeniya–Hungama main road and the turnoff to the village is in close proximity to the Debokkawa town. The village is believed to have been named after a provincial king, Suriya, who once bathed in the village pond. While locals also believe Sooriyapokuna was a site where Prince Dutugemunu (reigned: 161-137 B.C.) gathered and trained his troops before battling King Elara (205-161 B.C.) of Anuradhapura, and that he later built the temple in gratitude for his victory, there is no concrete evidence to support this claim.
A Protected Site
The building ruins with the ancient stone pillars in the precincts of the Sooriya Pokuna Raja Maha Vihara, situated within the Grama Niladhari Division of Sooriya Pokuna in the Angunukolapelassa Divisional Secretary Division are archaeological protected monuments, declared by a government notification published on 6 July 2008.
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References
Government Gazette Notifications
1) The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. No: 1553. 6 July 2008. p.522.
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Attribution
To Whom
LankaPradeepa.com extends its gratitude to Mr V. M. Vidanapathirana for providing the necessary photographs required for this article. All the photos are published here with the permission of the author.
