Muthiyangana Rajamaha Viharaya

Muthiyangana Rajamaha Viharaya

Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya arranged amidst the bustling city of Badulla in the Uva area. The History of this sanctuary returns to the season of nineteenth – eighteenth century BC. The legends trusted an amid this time the relentless lord called Ravana was administering the nation with Badulla as the capital. It is additionally trusted that the War of Rama and Ravana in the Indian Epic likewise occurred around there. There are numerous spots and names which distinguishes this area, (for example, Seetha Eliya, Seetha Kotuwa, Ravana Ella) as the area portrayed in this Indian epic. It is said that the Ravana at last, lost the war and victor Vibishana took the capital to Kelaniya and the Uva slowly became mixed up in history until the fifth century BC.

Buddhists trust that this area has been visited by Gautama Buddha, and Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya is concerned as one of the Solosmasthana, the 16 sacred places in Sri Lanka. On the eighth year after attaining the Nirwanaya (Enlightenment), the Lord Buddha’s 3^rd visit to Kelaniya on the invitation by a king of Naga (normally called Maniakkitha). In this visit, a chieftain named Indika welcomed Lord Buddha to visit his place in Badulla. Toward the finish of sermons made by Lord Buddha there, Indika had needed something to worship in memory of Lord Buddha's visit. The Lord Buddha is said to have given him a few of His hairs and a few drops of sweat that turned into pearls (mukthaka). Indika had enshrined this sacrosanct hair and pearls in a stupa. This is the beginning of the Muthiyangana Stupa. This stupa and the temple has been expanded, reconstructed and renovated by many kings during the next 2500 years.

The entrance to the temple is a beautiful ‘Thorana’. This a unique design with six levels. The first level includes the main entrance and above it on the second level is a typical Makara (dragon) Head. On the sides of the head are two guard figures and at the corners are two lion figures. On the third level there are two ‘Vamana’ figures and at the edge two animals probably lions. These figures are not as clear as the lion figures on the second level. In the center of the 3rd level is a high stand which goes right up to the 4th level and on top of it there is a seating Buddha statue on the fifth level. On the 4th level, there are two bulls on the side. The special feature of these bulls is that they are decorated and they have large humps. Such bulls are a feature of Hinduism and this feature indicates some influence of Hinduism in the making of this structure. 5th level is dedicated to the Buddha statue. On the sixth level is 2 peacocks which complete the outline of the structure.

As you enter the temple is the main image house. The entrance is a colorful ‘Makara Thorana’. And, can see the statue of Maithee Bodhisattva. Passing the image house come to the holiest structure of the temple, the stupa which enshrines the hair and the mukthaka dathu of Buddha. The initial stupa built by the Deity Indika in the 5th century BC has been enlarged by the King Devanmpiyathissa (250-210 BC) of Anuradhapura Era.