Kalutara Bodhiya
An extremely important religious site in Sri Lanka, the Kalutara Bodhiya is one of the 32 saplings of the original Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi which dates back to the 2nd century BC. Read onto find out more.
History
The Kaltura Bo tree was planted sometime during the 2nd century BC, under the patronage of King Devanampiyatissa from the Anuradhapura Era. It is a sapling which sprouted from the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi under which Lord Buddha attained Nirvana.
How it Came to Sri Lanka
A sapling of the original tree was brought to the island by Bhikkhuni Sanghamitta, the twin sister of the venerable monk Mahinda who introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
The Kalutara Bodhiya Trust
The Kalutara Buddhist Society was formed in the year 1931 with the sole object of nurturing and protecting the historic tree since the site began to develop as a religious place of worship and attract many devout Buddhist seeking to pay homage to it.
Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple - Kalutara
Visit one of the holiest temples of Sri Lanka to experience absolute peace of mind and tranquillity – Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple. Read on to know more about this wondrous temple.
Overview
Located near the western border of the city of Kalutara, The Asokaramaya Buddhist Temple is a divine place of worship frequently visited by devotees around the island.
History
This temple was built in during the year of 1873 to serve as a place to conduct Buddhist sermons for the monk Aluthgama Sangharatne. Only a hall was built at first and as donations started pouring, the hall was expanded as a temple and many people started visiting the place ever since.
What can you see and how can you get there
Upon visiting here you will find, a relic chamber surrounded by small halls and a drawing room, you can also see a variety of artworks ranging from wall paintings to statures.
Rambukkana Raja Maha Vihara - Bandaragama
This quaint and charming temple can be found near Bandaragama. Being smaller than most other prominent temples in Sri Lanka, this site did not gain popularity until recently.
About
Known as just another normal temple, the Rambukkana Raja Maha Vihara was a place of worship that did not attract visitors unless it was for prayers. In the year 1997, during a renovation process, the workers discovered a slab, which had inscriptions on it, albeit a bit damaged.
The Mystery Slab
This slab was mostly damaged, but after reading the inscriptions, whatever were remaining anyway, the historians were lead to believe that this discovery dates back to the 1st century BC, maybe even earlier than that. Now, this also falls in the list of historical temples in Sri Lanka and can be found in local blogs.
How to get there
From Panadura, venture towards Horana, after about nine kilometres, you will be closer to the Bandaragama Junction. The Rambukkana Raja Maha Vihara is a kilometre or two ahead of the said junction. The distance from Kalutara is just 19.2 km.
Lenawara Rajamaha Viharya - Bandaragama
The Lenawara Rajamaha Viharaya is a prominent cultural and religious heritage site which exists since the Polonnaruwa kingdom days. This Vihara can be found near the town of Bandaragama. Just 20 km away from Kalutara.
About
The temple lies on top of a naturally formed rock and takes quite a climb to reach to the top, similar to Mihintale or the Dambulla cave temples. There are staircases, both natural and manmade that leads you to the top.
To reach the temple from Kalutara, travel northwards to Waskaduwa and take a right to Bandaragama road. Upon reaching Moronthuduwa junction, turn right to the Horana road to reach Millaniya. Take a left thence to reach Halthota. Turn right from the Halthota junction to Anguruwatota road and travel about 700m to reach the temple via a small road branching off to the left. This road can be easily missed so be on alert.
History
Historians associate the temple with the period in which King Parakramabahu VI ruled the area. Within the temple, you can find inscriptions left by the king himself.
lenawara temple sri lanka
The shrine room of Lenawara temple. The Stupa is atop the rock. Photo Credit: Nadeeka Athukorala
Why you should visit
When one thinks of places to visit in Kalutara district, this might not be the first site that comes to mind, but if you skim through our blog before your trip to the region, you’d know how much of a historical significance this temple is to the people of Lanka, especially Buddhists.
Looking around
As soon as you reach the top, you’d see a shrine room inside a cave of rock. This room houses a huge picture of a reclining Buddha along with a few other paintings.
Behind the shrine room is a special devalaya (temple) that is dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu. There are pools on either side of this shrine and they are filled with clear water that reflects the sky above like a mirror.
Rankoth Viharaya - Panadura
Rankoth Viharaya (රන්කොත් විහාරය) also known as the ‘Galkanda Viharaya’ is one of the most remarkable Buddhist attractions in Panadura. There are many interesting facts which qualify Rankoth Viharaya as a must see place in Kalutara district.
Here’s why:
Architecture:
Rankoth Viharaya is composed of a unique architectural design that contributes towards the significance of the temple. It is built on top of a natural rock which is visible at a glance from a distance.
So now we know why it’s also referred to as the Galkanda Viharaya (ගල්කන්ද විහාරය) (‘Gal’ meaning Rock and ‘Kanda’ meaning Mountain).
temples to visit in kalutara district
Evolution of the Name:
As mentioned above, the temple is also known as “Galkanda Viharaya”. It was the most commonly used name for the temple during the early days prior to the 1800’s.
However, in 1890 the temple was renamed as the Rankoth Viharaya (Rankoth, meaning Golden Pinnacle) after the pinnacle of the pagoda was painted in gold.
rankoth viharaya stupa (Chaithya)
The stupa (pagoda) with the golden pinnacle
The Bo-Tree
The Bo tree is an integral element of Buddhism and is widely worshipped and venerated across all Buddhists and Non-Buddhists worldwide. It is impossible to find a temple without a Bo-Tree as this is an important part of the Buddhist’s practice of worship.
It is believed that the Bo Tree at Rankoth Viharaya is older than the temple itself! Many pilgrims visit the Rankoth Viharaya in order to conduct ‘Bodhi Puja’ and obtain blessings. There are also dedicated shrines built for prominent deities to the side of the Bodhi trees.
the bodhi tree of rankoth viharaya
The Bodhi tree of temple is much revered by devotees
The Shrine
rankoth viharaya shrine room
The shrine room from the outside
wall artworks of the shrine room
Shrine room walls are covered in wall arts depicting Lord Buddha’s life events
jathaka stories of lord buddha
Life story of the Lord Buddha is depicted in picture frames
The image house of the Rankoth Viharaya is adorned with a large number of murals depicting the various important incidents of the Life of the Lord Buddha and the Jathaka Stories. Unfortunately, these arts are only captioned in Sinhala.
Samadhi Buddha statue inside the shrine room
Reclining Buddha statue of Rankoth Viharaya
History
The temple also has a rich history dating back to the early English rule of Sri Lanka. Rankoth Viharaya is closely related to the Great Panadura Controversy an The Panadura Debate site is located close by.
• 1810 – The temple was set up in a small hut in a quarry by Ven. Batapola Kalyanatissa Thero. It was called “Galwale Temple” (Temple in the quarry).
• 1821 – Two storied sanghawasa (An abode for monks) was constructed
• 1863 – The stupa was constructed upon a rock
• 1865 – Relics of the Lord Buddha were enshrined within the stupa
• 1890 – The pinnacle was painted in gold which in turn changed the name of the temple to “Rankoth Viharaya”
• 1894 – A new shrine room was constructed
• 1930 – A new preaching hall was added
• 1981 – The rampart around the Bodhi Tree was completed
• 1987 – The International library was built
Did you know? To expedite the construction of the temple the Buddhists around the area dug up sand from the beach passed those to the site by forming a line from the beach.
Eminent English poet and scholar Sir Edwin Arnold had visited the temple in 1886 whence he discussed the idea to restore the Buddhagaya back to Buddhists. (source).
How to get there?
Rankoth Viharaya is sited along the main road when taking the Colombo-Galle route via Kalutara and is a significant place of visit. It is merely 26 mins away from the Kalutara district and can be located easily.
If you’re traveling from Kalutara, turn left at the clock tower just past the pedestrian bridge over the road. The temple is visible to your left from the road.