| Buddama Raja Maha Vihara | |
|---|---|
බුද්දම රජ මහා විහාරය | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| District | Monaragala |
| Province | Uva Province |
| Location | |
| Location | Buddama,Sri Lanka |
 Interactive map of Buddama Raja Maha Vihara | |
| Coordinates | 07°02′28.4″N81°29′20.4″E / 7.041222°N 81.489000°E /7.041222; 81.489000 |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Buddhist Temple |
| Style | Cave temple |
| Completed | 3rd century BC |
Buddama Raja Maha Vihara (Sinhalaː බුද්දම රජ මහා විහාරය) is a historicCave temple inBuddama village,Monaragala district,Sri Lanka.[2] Buddama is a rural village lying off Siyambalanduwa town and is known as one of the earliest settlements in the country. Currently the temple has been formally recognised by the Government as anarchaeological site in Sri Lanka.[3]
According to the facts from great chronicleMahawamsa and the inscriptions found in the Vihara premises, Buddama temple was built in the third century BC. It has also been recorded inUva Viharawamsa, a chronicle about important Buddhist centers in theUva province, which states that Buddama was worshipped by early Buddhists. Before theadvent of Buddhism to the country during theAnuradhapura period, the temple is said to have been a vocational training center for local craft men before it became a Buddhist monastery.
The temple has received royal patronage by kings from time to time, as mentioned in the inscriptions found in Vihara premises and other outside references. According to the Vihara inscriptions, southern regional king Udaya I (883 – 896) donated villages to the temple during his reign and KingParakramabahu I (1153–1186) created administrative divisions centering the Buddama Temple. Renovations to the temple were carried out bySri Wickrama Rajasingha (1747 – 1781) inKandyan period.
The temple is composed of more than 20 caves. The main rock cave of the temple is drip ledged and not very high. It houses many mural paintings and sculptures belonging toKandyan style.[4] The entrance is decorated with a Makara Thorana (Dragon's Arch) built ofclay. Inside the main chamber, a reclining Buddha statue with several seated Buddha statues are visible. The main Buddha Statue is believed to have been constructed by KingRajadhi Rajasingha.[5] The canopy of the cave is decorated with various floral designs with the walls depicting BuddhistJathaka stories.
Period: 3rd BC-1st centuries AD,Script: EarlyBrahmi,Language: OldSinhala
Content: "This inscription records donation of a cave to Buddhist Sangha by a teacher named Gupta, the grandson of the village councilor Vasabha and the son of Sumana"