Kaballelena Viharaya is an ancient cave temple in Kurunegala with prehistoric remains, Brahmi inscriptions, and a rare multi-level rock cave shrine.
Kaballelena Viharaya (Maeliya) Not to be confused with Kaballelena Viharaya (Wellagala) K aballelena 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 us…
