Bihalpola Raja Maha Viharaya is an ancient temple linked to the Kurunegala Kingdom, featuring Kandyan-period buildings and later murals.
Bihalpola Raja Maha Viharaya B ihalpola Raja Maha Viharaya , also known as Veheragala Viharaya (Sinhala: බිහල්පොල රජමහා විහාරය, ඓතිහාසික වෙහෙරගල රජමහා විහාරය), is a Buddhist temple situated in Bihalpola village in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. History This temple is said to have been in existence since the time of the Kurunegala Kingdom (Anuradha & Kumari, 2015; Silva & Chandrasekara, 2021). Strong evidence is there to prove that the Tempita Viharaya (temple on pillars), Dhatu Mandiraya (relic-house) and two plinth-style image house buildings belong to the Kandyan Period (Silva & Chandrasekara, 2021). However, some scholars believe that the architectural style of the Tempita Viharaya reflects the period after the 12th century, when Sri Lankan Buddhist monk who had been compelled to migrate to Thailand, Burma, and Cambodia, returned, bringing with them design elements influenced by Southeast Asian architecture (Silva & Chandrasekara, 2021). The murals found in the Tempita Viharaya belong possibly to t…
