The charming Warana Raja Maha Viharaya is a place of great religious, cultural and historic prominence. It richly deserves a visit when you are traveling in Sri Lanka. This ancient temple has many beautiful facets which make it quite a remarkable site. There are beautiful statues and paintings telling stories of the long lost kings of Sri Lanka. Treasures of incredible worth are also believed to be buried under the grounds upon which the temple stands.
‘Arana’ means forest in Sinhala. And ‘Va’ is said to be a name of a tree which was exceedingly abundant during the ancient times. Thus the name of the temple seems to indicate that it was built in an area which was surrounded by ‘Va’ trees.
History of The Warana Raja Maha Viharaya
King Devanampiyatissa built Warana Raja Maha Viharaya during his reign between the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC. A rock inscription which is to be found onsite states that the temple was donated to the Buddhist monk Tissa Dhatta Thero. He was the very first disciple of Arahat Mahinda Thero. A number of prominent Sinhalese kings renovated and maintained the temple throughout the centuries. King Valagamba had used the temple as a hiding place when he was escaping the invading South Indian kings. There is a Buddha statue in the largest cave here which this king had placed. King Nissankamalla and King Parakramabahu VI also helped enhance the prominence of this temple during their times. King Parakramabahu VI especially made significant contributions to the temple.
You will be able to visit this site with great ease as you are traveling in the island with Green Holiday Centre. You should try to read about the places that you are planning to visit. So you will be able to make your tours a lot more interesting and insightful. You can learn more about the prominent attractions in the country if you partner with a reputed tour operator.
This blog has a piece of very good information about Raja Maha Viharaya, I love the culture and Place.