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The Stupa at Kaballelena Raja Maha Viharaya |
Kaballelena Purana Raja Maha Viharaya (Sinhala: මාඑලිය කබල්ලෑලෙන පුරාණ රජමහා විහාරය), is a Buddhist temple situated in Maeliya village in Polpitigama Divisional Secretariat Division in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka.
History
It is believed that this area has been inhabited since prehistoric times, as evidenced by quartz stone flakes found on the surface throughout the temple grounds and the large rock cave that probably provided shelter for prehistoric humans (Mendis et al., 2019). This cave was later developed into a cave temple (Len Viharaya).
The site contains several ancient Brahmi Inscriptions which have been published by the Department of Archaeology (Mendis et al., 2019).
The Cave Temple
The cave temple is organized in three distinct levels (terraces). The upper level houses the image house (Pilimage) while the middle level features a section used as a Sermon Hall (Dharmashalawa). The lower level contains a chamber currently used as a Devalaya. The use of a single rock cave for such multiple purposes is considered a rare and significant feature (Mendis et al., 2019).
At the entrance of the image house are "Dwarapala" (guardian) figures and lion carvings. Inside, there are seated Buddha statues and several other statues including deities and Bodhisattvas. The ceiling and walls of the image house are adorned with paintings, and it is observed that blue pigment was predominantly used in these paintings (Mendis et al., 2019). The ancient stupa at the site has been conserved following archaeological principles.
A Protected Site
The ancient Buddha shrine at Kaballelena Viharaya in Polpitigama Divisional Secretary’s Division is an archaeological protected monument, declared by a government notifications published on 6 August 1965.
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References
Government Gazette Notifications, Journal Articles
1) Mendis, D.T.; Wijepala, W.M.T.B.; Harshajith, D.M.N., 2019. දැදුරු ඔය සහ මී ඔය අතර කලාපයේ පුරාවිද්යාත්මක ස්ථාන පිළිබඳ මූලික විමර්ශනයක්. මධ්ය දැදුරු ඔය හා මී ඔය නිම්නයේ ජනාවාස පුරාවිද්යාව. Research and Publication Fund, Rajarata University Of Sri Lanka. ISBN: 978-955-0189-14-1.pp.62-65.
2) The Government Gazette notification. No: 14472. 6 August 1965.
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Attribution
To Whom
LankaPradeepa.com extends its gratitude to Mr Navod Hemal for providing the necessary photographs required for this article. All the photos are published here with the permission of the author.
