Ridi Viharaya is a 2nd century BC Theravada Buddhist shrine located in the village of Ridigama in Sri Lanka. This temple is located in the Kurunegala district. In the Mahavamsa this place is known as the “Silver Cave”. According to legends, King Dutugemunu got silver from this place during the construction of Ruwanweli Seya. Hence it was called the ‘Ridi Viharaya’.
The temples that can be seen here today were built by King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe who ruled Kandy. A valuable feature or product here is the ivory door. Its top is decorated with carvings called “Panchanarighataya”. The Buddha statue here is twelve cubits high. In the middle of it is a dragon pandal.
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During the reign of King Dutugemunu, the main road from Anuradhapura to Malaya fell near this place. In folklore, this temple is commonly known as the “Temple of Waraka”. This is also mentioned in historical books. The dagoba is located on a rock. Below the rock is the Maha Vihara. The keys attached to the gates of this temple are those used in the days of the Sinhala kings. You can see the murals in the upper temple.
