Lankathilaka Raja Maha Viharaya is located in Hairapitiya, Udunawara, Kandy, the mountain capital of Sri Lanka. It is built as an eighty feet high four-story building and is located on an uneven stone floor above the Hanthana range. The history of Lankathilaka temple belongs to the Gampola period and it dates back to. Built-in 1344 under the patronage of King Bhuvanekabahu IV. This is one of the three famous temples located near Peradeniya and you can take the main Colombo-Kandy road and return to Pilimatalawa. After a short trek of about 4 km, you can reach Lankathilaka which is located on the top of the Panhalgala rock.
Built on a completely uneven rock surface, Lankathilaka is a unique structure with a height of about eighty feet. You can get an idea of the structure from the inscriptions found on the copper monument of the temple. It is stated that the foundation of the granite was laid on the rock surface and the rest of the structure was made of bricks. Beautiful arches and sculptures adorn the exterior walls, which speaks volumes about the architecture of the time. There are many inscriptions in Sinhala and Tamil describing the facilities provided to the temple and the land donated by the kings who ruled at that time.
[envira-gallery id=”7447″]Lankathilaka was dedicated to worshiping the Supreme Buddha and there were several other deities including Vishnu, Saman, Vibhishana, Ganapati, Skandakumara, and Kumara Bandara. The people of the Gampola and Kandyan kingdoms of that era not only had a strong belief in the worship of deities but also seem to have been devoted followers of the Buddha and his teachings. Lankathilake Raja Maha Viharaya can be reached from two directions. One entrance is through the monastery at the bottom of the rock where the steps to the temple began. Large rice storage bins called ‘Atuwa’ can be seen on the premises. As you climb the stone stairs you can see an amazing view of the surrounding landscape. On your way to Kandy, you can see several places such as the Temple of the Tooth and the Lake round. When you visit Anuradhapura you can see several Buddhist temples such as Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi and Ruwanweliseya.
