More about Sri Lankathilake Rajamaha Viharaya
If anyone is searching for the perfect destination to travel, Sri Lanka is will be the top of the list. The "Radiant Island" is famous for its many nicknames, as it stands out as a beach of wonderful beaches, a farm of tea plantations, and an ancient city. In it, you can practice scuba diving, visit the elephant shelter, the singing fish lake, and explore the dense forests, shrines, and temples. The island is located 20 miles from India and was formerly known as Ceylon Island, home to 20 million people, and six World Heritage Sites. The country's brutal and prolonged civil war ended in May 2009, bringing peace and stability to the country and a revival of tourism.
Location:
One of the best historical places in Sri Lanka is Sri Lankathilake Rajamaha Viharaya. It is an ancient Buddhist temple built during the Gampola period on the 14th century, located at Kandy about 18 km to the southwest and about 15 km to the north of Gampola, on Doulaugag road a few kilometers from the ancient Buddhist temple ( Gadaladeniya Vihara ) and about 4 km away from Pilimatalawa junction.
It is called the Rock Temple because it is built on a rock known as ( Panhalgala ) in the village of Rabbegamuwa in Kandy. The name “Lankatilaka” means ( the ornament of the Island ) or ( the adornment of Lanka ). “Tilaka” means primarily “sign or mark or icon”. The tilaka in Hinduism means the mark worn on the forehead. Lankatilaka is also the name of the largest image house built during the Polonnaruwa period. There is also another Lankatilaka but it was built 200 years earlier and belongs to Polonnaruwa main monastery, Alahena Pirivena. Unfortunately, it is destroyed and was never restored, while the Gampola Lankatilaka is intact and well-preserved.
Who built it?
The Sri Lankathilake was built during the reign of king Bhuvenaikabahu IV, he took over the throne after his father the king Vijayababu V and ruled for 29 years ( 1344/5 to 1353/4 ).
Bhuvenaikabahu IV is considered the first king who chose Gampola and made it the capital during his reign. The historians claimed that this king was weak as there were four powers sharing the throne with him. To demonstrate, the first power was the chief minister and known as (Senalankhadikhara) who was entrusted by the king to build the Lankatilaka Vihara. The second one was an influential family called the Algakonaras who succeeded later to take over the government and finally became kings.
The fourth one is his brother Parakramabhu V who ruled Dedigama which is located only 35 km from Gampola, his brother later became the king. The fourth one was a powerful kingdom at the borders, this realm invaded the neighboring armies and forced them to pay duties, this kingdom was a threat to the king, and it lasted till the end of his reign but the Alagakonara family was able to eradicate them.
Structure:
According to the late Professor Paranavitana, this temple was designed by the South Indian architect Sthapati Rayar. So there is a mix of Dravidian (India) and Indo Chinese style and the Sinhalese architecture of the Polonnaruwa period. Following the Polonnaruwa architecture, the building was situated on a rock with a granite foundation and consisted of four stories; although it is now seen as 3 stories only.
The exterior towering walls fo the temple beautifully decorated with sculpted arches making it one of the best temples in the world. In order to approach the temple, there are two directions; the first one is through the homes of the Buddhist monks known as (Sanghawasa) and it is located at the bottom of the rock. This direction has many sites such as the rice storage bins which is known as (atuwa), and the steps which lead to the temple. The second one is frequently used by visitors, it is the western direction. Also there two kinds of stairs leading to the temple, the original one which was built in the 14th century and the new one was built in 1913.
Then visitors can find a primitive stone door at the top of the old stairs in order to enter the premises of the temple. There are three sectors inside the temple; the actual temple, the bo tree, and the stupa or Dagoba. Let's start with the actual building temple, it has two entrances leading to two different sections, the west section or the Temples of the Gods, and the most important section is the eastern or the Buddha Image House. Before the entrance, there is moonstone (a semi-circle piece of stone used at the foot of the steps in most of the Buddhist buildings) decorating the entrance. The exterior archway is decorated by Makara Torana or the dragon figure. Inside the Buddha Image House is a true masterpiece as the walls and the ceiling are beautifully covered with exotic paintings.
The ceiling is decorated with a flower design while the paintings on the walls are depicting the lives of former 24 Buddhas monks. In the center of The Buddha Image House is seated a golden statue of Buddha, the statue is surrounded by sculptures of angels and Makara Torana. Moreover, in the Lankatilaka temple, there are sections specially dedicated to the gods Saman, Vishnu, Ganapathi, Skandhakumara, Vibhishana, and Kumara Bandara. It is believed that the temple was built to the god Kumara Bandara. And to complete the perfect look, on the rock surface of the temple, there are inscriptions in both Tamil and Sinhala stating the facts that the kings gifted the land of the temple and other facilities provided as an offering to the gods. This temple shows God and Buddha worship during the era of Gampola.
In conclusion, Sri Lankathilake Rajamaha Viharaya is one of the beautiful cultural heritage in Sri Lanka that worth your visit, so pack your bags and be ready for this thrilling adventure.
