Galadeniya Vihara

Galadeniya Vihara, also known as Saddharmatilaka Vihara or Dharma Kirthi Viharaya, is an ancient Buddhist temple in Pilimathalawa, Kandy located on the border of Udunuwara and Yatinuwara. Erected in around 1344 under the patronage of King Bhuvanekabahu IV, the temple’s architecture incorporates the ancient Dravidian style with Sinhalese Polonnaruwa and Indo-Chinese patterns.

The main shrine, sculpted entirely of granite, displays distinct South Indian features, including Dravidian, Pandyan, and Vijaynagari. At the entrance is an ornate statue of Makara Thorana or the Dragon’s Arch, which cradles statues of other Hindu-Buddhist entities such as Brahma, Natha, Maitreya, Sakra, Santhusthika, and Saman. Inside, the chief deity is an 8ft statue of a Buddha, seated in his Dhyana Mudra pose. 

Adjacent to the main shrine is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. A  secondary shrine, called Vijayothpaya or Vijayantha Prasada, is built at the center of the temple premises. It consists of a central stupa flanked by four smaller stupas in the four cardinal points, consisting of Buddha statues. The stupa is named after Indra, the King of the Gods in the Hindu pantheon and the Lord of Thunder. There are two other buildings on the site, one of which is the Bera Maduwa, where drummers perform their daily thevaya when offerings are made. There are several other old statues, carvings, images, and depictions of mythical stories all around the temple.