Bahirawakanda Viharaya which is located in close proximity to the Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy. It is one of the most enchanting sites that you can visit in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka. The incredible beauty of the brilliant white Buddha statue here will take your very breath away for sure! The statue has a height of 88 feet. It can be seen from many parts of the city.
The best time to visit Bahirawakanda Viharaya is at night. The beautiful statue is illuminated and the night lights of the city of Kandy sparkle and twinkle painting a magnificent vista. Coupled with the refreshing mountain breezes, this sight truly creates magic! The temple was built in the year 1972 so it has very little historic significance. But the mountain upon which the temple is perched has quite a number of remarkable stories weaved about it!
Stories About Bahirawakanda Viharaya
Bahirawakanda literally means ‘gnome mountain’. It is said that long ago, the villagers believed that Bahirava, the god who was worshipped on this mountain, wanted human sacrifices. So they brought large numbers of virgin women and brutally sacrificed them here. Another story describes a similar story about a gnome who was pretending to be a minister in the Royal Palace. He encouraged the people of the land to bring a virgin woman to the mountain every year. It is to appease the anger of an evil gnome that possessed the mountain. Of course, he himself was the evil gnome that accepted the virgin women. Both of these stories end with the heroic acts of brave lovers.
You will be able to visit this mountain and the enchanting temple it has with great ease as you are traveling in the area with Green Holiday Centre. Be sure to read all about the places that you are planning to visit so you will be able to make your tours a lot more interesting and rewarding!
