{"id":139718,"date":"2024-08-03T02:19:53","date_gmt":"2024-08-03T02:19:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=139718"},"modified":"2024-08-03T02:19:53","modified_gmt":"2024-08-03T02:19:53","slug":"pilikuttuwa-ancient-forest-monastery-in-western-province-by-arundathie-abeysinghe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/pilikuttuwa-ancient-forest-monastery-in-western-province-by-arundathie-abeysinghe\/","title":{"rendered":"Pilikuttuwa – ancient forest monastery in Western Province By Arundathie Abeysinghe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pilikuttuwa – ancient forest monastery in Western Province<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

By Arundathie Abeysinghe<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

\"Arundathie<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Situated off the beaten track, yet, located approximately 3.5 kilometers from Colomb-Kandy Road, Pilikuththuwa Raja Maha Vihara is an ancient Cave Temple situated in Pilikuththuwa, located in *Gampaha – Wathurugama Road.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPilikuttuwa\u201d, often spelt \u201cPilikuththuwa\u201d or \u201cPilikuttuva\u201d is the most picturesque rock temple in Gampaha District and situated approximately 35 kilometers from commercial capital Colombo and Colombo International Airport.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although, not a popular tourist destination, Pilikuttuwa is an enchanting place. The forest monastery known as \u201cPilikuththuwa Raja Maha Viharaya\u201d or \u201cPilikuttuwa Rajamaha Vihara\u201d is situated amidst a large forest in close proximity to Maligathenna Temple, the highest hill in Gampaha District.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The forest monastery is one of the temples with the highest number of ancient monastic rock caves in Sri Lanka. There are 99 monastic caves with ancient drip ledges (\u201c<\/span>kataram<\/span><\/i>\u201d in Sinhala), cut above the opening of the rock shelter to prevent rain water from flowing along the rock surface into the interior of the cave. Approximately, 80 drip-ledged caves have been marked with numbers.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

According to locals, the monastery was founded by *King Walagamba. Only royal monasteries are entitled to bear the name \u201cRajamaha\u201d, which translates as \u201cking great\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Archaeologists are of the view that several cave inscriptions inscribed in *Brahmi letters indicate that the Temple was founded by a king of the Anuradhapura Period.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the Brahmin inscriptions reads that the temple was donated to the \u201cSangha of all cardinal directions\u201d, meaning those of the Buddhist order. Scholars are of the view that this is a formula used in inscriptions from pre-Christian centuries. Some inscriptions, at the site dating to the Anuradhapura Period, mention names of specific monks, the beneficiaries or names of lay people who were not kings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The preaching hall (<\/span>Dharma Salawa<\/span><\/i> in Sinhala), constructed in 1910 is situated in close proximity to the entrance of the Temple. There are two *Bo trees in the temple premises known as \u201cprince tree\u201d and \u201cprincess tree\u201d, as they are believed to have been planted by a royal prince and princess. There is an ancient stone pond, the Image House also known as \u201cShrine Room\u201d with Buddha Images and a <\/span>dagoba<\/span><\/i> (<\/span>stupa<\/span><\/i>).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There is a cave temple transformed as an Image House during the Kandyan era and decorated with typical *Kandy era paintings. Caves in the Temple Complex have been converted as a shrine room in the recent past, for lay visitors to meditate in front of the Buddha Statues. The ceiling of the rock cave is also decorated with Kandyan era art of geometrically stylized lotus flowers. The large reclining Buddha Statue covered with a Kandyan style coating, although, scholars are of the view that the Buddha Statue dates to *Polonnaruwa era.<\/span><\/p>\n

A unique feature of the Temple is Portuguese soldiers armed with swords who are apparently guarding the entrance to the shrine room, a feature rarely found in Buddhist Temples in Sri Lanka.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, paintings of *<\/span>Jataka<\/span><\/i> stories too indicate colonial influence as the characters depicted in them wear colonial costumes, instead of royal costumes.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Location:<\/b> Situated approximately 35 kilometers from Colombo.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n