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Kelaniya කැලණිය களனி | |
|---|---|
 Kelaniya Temple | |
  Kelaniya | |
| Coordinates:06°57′24″N79°55′14″E / 6.95667°N 79.92056°E /6.95667; 79.92056 | |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Province | Western Province |
| District | Gampaha |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone) |
| Postal Code | 11600 |
| Area code | 011 |
Kelaniya (Sinhala:කැලණියTamil:களனி) is asuburb ofColombo in theWestern Province,Sri Lanka. Located 10 km (6.2 mi) fromColombo Fort, it is known for theBuddhist temple built on the banks of theKelani River, which divides the suburb from Colombo District. The temple is also a religious centre for veneration of the figuresVibhishana andAvalokiteshvara. It is also known as the location of theUniversity of Kelaniya.
Kelaniya (Kalyanam) is mentioned inRamayana and in the Buddhist chronicle, theMahawansa which states that theBuddha visited the place in the 5th century BC, after which thedagoba of the temple was built.[1] Sri LankanBuddhists believe that the Buddha visited Kelaniya in order to quell a quarrel between theNāga leaders of two warring factions: Chulodara (literally "the small-bellied one") and Mahodara (literally "the big-bellied one"). They were quarrelling over a jewel-encrusted throne. After the Buddha showed them the futility of their quarrel they converted to Buddhism and together offered the throne to the Buddha. It is believed that the dagoba (stupa or Buddhist temple) was built with the throne as a relic inside.
The suburb is also of historical importance as the capital of a provincial kingKelani Tissa (1st century BC) whose daughter,Viharamahadevi was the mother of KingDutugemunu the Great, regarded as the most illustrious of the approximately 186 kings of Sri Lanka between the 5th century BC and 1815.
According toRamayana, after King Ravana’s death, Vibeeshana was crowned as the King of Lanka by Lakshmana at Kelaniya. There are murals enshrined outside the Buddhist temple depicting the crowning of Vibeeshana. The Kelani River is mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayana and Vibeeshana palace was said to be on the banks of this river. The reason Lakshmana crowned Vibeeshana, was because Rama had to return to India as he had to continue his self-exile of fourteen years to honour the commitment to his father, King Dasarath of Ayodhya.
Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara has become famous because of the beautiful paintings and sculpture bySolias Mendis depicting various events in thehistory of Sri Lanka. Thousands of Buddhists come each January to see Kelaniya's Buddhist pageant, popularly referred to asDuruthu Maha Perahera.
TheA1 highway connectingColombo toKandy runs along this suburb. The Kelaniya Railway Station is located close to the Colombo-Kandy Road and providesrail connections to the rest of the country.
TheUniversity of Kelaniya is situated at Kelaniya near theColombo-Kandy Road.
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