Silver Temple

Historical Silver Temple of Kurunegala

            From Kurunegala town crossing the Ridigama town slightly ahead on the Keppetipola road It is a mountain that standing over the skies about 200 feet high. At the foot of the mountain are the ruins of a monastery with archaeological evidence made of ancient cauldron, caves and ponds. This is the silver shrine, which was the seat of the Arahants in the early days with a history of about two thousand years.

          Silver Temple has a long history as far back as the beginning of Lanka's history. Silver is related to the Ridigama as well as to the story of King Dutugemunu (161 - 137 BC). At this time an Arahant named Indragupta lived in this area. According to the Mahavamsa, silver was found with the help of this Arahant when he was looking for treasures to build and deposit in the Ruwanweli Stupa. A group of merchants were traveling through the area and when they were searching for the cattle, they found a Waraka tree. There were four Arahants led by Ven. Indraguptha Thero and the sales team had presented Waraka. When asked for permission to go there, the Thera had pointed out a road through the temple. On their way, they saw a silver lining and offered to their king. The ministers had then withdrawn the silver and made a temple in this place for the happiness of the silver. It was later known as 'Rajatha Lena'.

          Amandagamini Abhaya (21 - 31 AD), King Parakum (1153 - 1186 AD), Nissankamalla (1187 - 1196 AD) and Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe who came to power during the Kandyan Kingdom. (1747 - 1782 AD) has been patronized by rulers.

          The ruins of the Silver Temple are of three major parts. These are the Maha Viharaya, Uda Vihara and Waraka Viharaya. All three are caves. One of the oldest temples in the area is the Maha Viharaya. There are gateway near the entrance. The image of the idols and the images of the animals depicts the Hindu period. The Uluwassa with its ivory carvings near the entrance to the upper temple is one of the famous carvings of the silver temple. Adorned with local carvings, this is the only ivory athlet in Sri Lanka. Among the statues found in the temple are a gold plated statue, a statue of Athariyan sleeping, and a statue of Maithree Bosath. The resting statue is made of wood. Ceramic bricks, which are nowhere to be seen, were installed during the Kandyan Kingdom. They have the life story of Christ. At the foot of the statue are statues of King Dutugemunu and the statue of Maithree Bodhisattva. There are nine statues on the left side of the statue. This cave temple depicts the artistic tradition of the Kandyan period.

          The Uda Vihara is important because of its paintings. The wall is adorned with paintings of the Kandyan period. Twelve places, Suvisi vivarana, Navanari Kunjaraya, Gajasinghe, Narasinghe are some of the special paintings. Also behind the statue in the cave there are some events in the Ramayana. The paintings of this Vihara were painted by the Devaragampola thero. Adjacent to the Uda Vihara is another small cave. The head of the cave wall is decorated with beautiful paintings. On the right side of the Uda Vihara are the gods Vishnu and Kumara Bandara. It was a creation of King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe of Kandyan period. These creations may have been made due to Hindu influence. There are beautiful lame stone and sandakada pahana near the entrance to the temple.

           Another important part of this temple is the Waraka Viharaya. In the cave there is a seat with an image of Buddha and an outer stone pavilion. The Samadhi statue and the Makara Thorana are placed behind it. It is considered the place where Arahants eat Waraka. It is full of sculptures and carvings. Hindu influence is also prominent in these designs.
                The other temple component of the temple is the place where the Chaitya is situated. During the time of the ancient monastery, the Arahants and the Yogavachara monks in the area used to be meditators and for other purposes. During the Kandyan period many temples and temples were renovated. Although the stupa was built by King Dutugemunu, it is not seen today. Apart from this there are temples built in Kandy period. Kumara Bandara Devalaya and Pattin Devalaya are prominent among them. An annual procession is also held. Silver Temple is one of the ancient Buddhist centers of Mahavihara in Sri Lanka.