Warana Raja Maha Vihara

Warana Raja Maha Vihara
Warana Raja Maha Vihara
	වාරණ රජ මහා විහාරය
	Ancient Stupa at middle ground
Basic information
Location	Warana, Thihariya, Sri Lanka
Geographic coordinates	07°06′15.3″N80°04′28.9″E / 7.104250°N 80.074694°E Coordinates: 07°06′15.3″N80°04′28.9″E / 7.104250°N 80.074694°E
Affiliation	Buddhism
District	Gampaha
Province	Western Province
Heritage designation	Archaeological protected monument [1] (01 November 1996)
Architectural description
Architectural type	Buddhist Temple
Architectural style	Cave temple
Founder	King Devanampiyathissa (307–267 BC)

Last updated April 22, 2019

Warana Raja Maha Vihara (Sinhalaː වාරණ රජ මහා විහාරය) is an ancient Buddhist temple which is situated in Thihariya, Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. The temple is located approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) away from the Colombo - Kandy highway.Currently this temple has been recognized as an archaeological protected site in Gampaha District by Archaeological department.^[1]

A Buddhist temple is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represent the pure land or pure environment of a Buddha. Traditional Buddhist temples are designed to inspire inner and outer peace. Its structure and architecture varies from region to region. Usually, the temple consists not only of its buildings, but also the surrounding environment. The Buddhist temples are designed to symbolize 5 elements: Fire, Air, Earth, Water, and Wisdom.

Thihariya is a small town in Gampaha District. It is located nearly 9 km away from Gampaha town.

History

Warana Raja Maha Vihara is believed to have been built during the reign of King Devanampiyathissa (307–267 BC)^[2] and according to the temple chronicles preserved at the Vihara, later renovations haven been undertaken by King Valagamba (103 BCE and c.89–77 BCE), Nissanka Malla (1187–1196), Kirti Sri Rajasinha (1747-1782) and Parakramabahu VI.^[3]

Tissa, later Devanampiya Tissa was one of the earliest kings of Sri Lanka based at the ancient capital of Anuradhapura from 307 BC to 267 BC. His reign was notable for the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka under the aegis of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. The primary source for his reign is the Mahavamsa, which in turn is based on the more ancient Dipavamsa.

Valagamba, also known as Wattagamani Abhaya and Valagambahu, was a king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom of Sri Lanka. Five months after becoming king, he was overthrown by a rebellion and an invasion from South India, but regained the throne by defeating the invaders fourteen years later. He is also known for the construction of the Abhayagiri Dagaba.

Nissanka Malla, also known as Kirti Nissanka and Kalinga Lokesvara was a king of Sri Lanka who ruled the country from 1187 to 1196. He is known for his architectural constructions such as the Nissanka Lata Mandapaya, Hatadage and Rankot Vihara, as well as for the refurbishment of old temples and irrigation tanks.

According to the Dr. Senarath Paranavithana's book Inscriptions of Ceylon, Part I, a Brahmin inscription, found in the vihara premises, has been interpreted as follows:.^[4]

Senarath Paranavitana was a pioneering archeologist and epigraphist of Sri Lanka. His works dominated Sri Lankan archaeology and history in the middle-part of the 20th century. He became the Archeological Commissioner in 1940, following H. C. P. Bell, and Don Martino de Zilva Wickremasinghe in that position.

Brahmi, developed in the mid-1st millennium BCE, is the oldest known writing system of Ancient India, with the possible exception of the undeciphered Indus script. Brahmi is an abugida that thrived in the Indian subcontinent and uses a system of diacritical marks to associate vowels with consonant symbols. It evolved into a host of other scripts, called the Brahmic scripts, that continue to be in use today in South and Central Asia.

Bata Maj himas batikabata Tissadatta dne. (In English: "The gift of Lord Tissadatta, brother of Lord Magji hima)
English is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England and eventually became a global lingua franca. It is named after the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes that migrated to the area of Great Britain that later took their name, as England. Both names derive from Anglia, a peninsula in the Baltic Sea. The language is closely related to Frisian and Low Saxon, and its vocabulary has been significantly influenced by other Germanic languages, particularly Norse, and to a greater extent by Latin and French.

It reads that Tissadatta, an Arahat who had gifted the cave, is a brother of Mahinda Thero, who brought Buddhism to the country in the 3rd century B.C. It is believed that Tissadatta Therro was the first pupil of the Venerable Mahinda.^[5]

Mahinda was a Buddhist monk depicted in Buddhist sources as bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka. He was the first-born son of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka from his wife Devi and the elder brother of Sanghamitra.

Buddhism is the world's fourth-largest religion with over 520 million followers, or over 7% of the global population, known as Buddhists. Buddhism encompasses a variety of traditions, beliefs and spiritual practices largely based on original teachings attributed to the Buddha and resulting interpreted philosophies. Buddhism originated in ancient India as a Sramana tradition sometime between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, spreading through much of Asia. Two major extant branches of Buddhism are generally recognized by scholars: Theravada and Mahayana.

The temple

The temple is mainly consist of three levels as Pahala maluwa, Meda maluwa and Ihala maluwa. In the first level the Sangawasaya and the Dharama Hall is located and in the middle level the drip ledged cave temple with its ancient Stupa can be seen. It is said that stupa is around 800 years old. Inside the cave temple many of Buddha statues and paintings are found. The canopy of the cave has been decorated with lotus flowers and with various other flower designs. In the top level another Stupa and Cave temple can be seen.

A stupa is a mound-like or hemispherical structure containing relics that is used as a place of meditation. A related architectural term is a chaitya, which is a prayer hall or temple containing a stupa.

Nelumbo nucifera, also known as Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, Egyptian bean or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is often colloquially called a water lily. Under favorable circumstances the seeds of this aquatic perennial may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China.

Related Research Articles

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References

1 2 "Protercted Monument List 2012-12-12" (PDF). Department of Archaeology. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
↑ "Warana Rajamaha Viharaya, Gampaha". tlc.lk. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
↑ "WARANA RAJAMAHA VIHARA". srilankaheritages.com. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
↑ (page 86 - No. 1102 - Warana)
↑ "Varana Rajamaha Viharaya – වාරණ රජමහා විහාරය". amazinglanka. Retrieved 16 March 2016.

External links

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[Archaeological-1] 1 2 "Protercted Monument List 2012-12-12" (PDF). Department of Archaeology. 12 December 2012. Retrieved 27 March 2016.

[tlc.lk-2] "Warana Rajamaha Viharaya, Gampaha". tlc.lk. Retrieved 16 March 2016.

[srilankaheritages.com-3] "WARANA RAJAMAHA VIHARA". srilankaheritages.com. Retrieved 16 March 2016.

[4] (page 86 - No. 1102 - Warana)

[amazinglanka-5] "Varana Rajamaha Viharaya – වාරණ රජමහා විහාරය". amazinglanka. Retrieved 16 March 2016.