Katuwannawa Asanagharaya is an ancient circular Asanaghara shrine in Kurunegala, featuring stone altars linked to early Buddhist worship.
Katuwannawa Asanagharaya K atuwannawa Asanagharaya (Sinhala: කටුවන්නාව ආසනඝරය) is one of the Asanaghara Shrines found in Sri Lanka. It is situated adjacent to Katuwannawa Siri Waddanaramaya Viharaya near Deduru Oya Reservoir in Kurunegala District. Asanaghara Shrines Asanaghara is a type of ancient Buddhist structure erected to house an Asana (a seat or throne) which symbolizes the Adamantine throne (Vajrasana) of the Buddha on which he attained enlightenment (Perera, 1976). In the early period of Buddhism, Asanas were venerated by Buddhists as a sacred object. Up to date nearly twenty or more such Asanagharas have been discovered at a number of places scattered in various districts of the island (Perera, 1976). Katuwannawa Asanagharaya Henry Parker was the first scholar to record the ruins of Asanaghara at Katuwannawa (Parker, 1909). After a lapse of more than half a century since Parker's observations, the Archaeological Survey of Sri Lanka, re-examined the ruins (Perera, 1976). According to the details given…
