Lahugala Kota Vehera Buddhist Temple- Sri Lanka

Address

Lahugala Kota Vehera Buddhist Temple- Colombo – Batticaloa Hwy, Lahugala, Sri Lanka

Diety

Buddha

Introduction

Lahugala Kota Vehera or Kota Vehara Raja Maha Vihara is an ancient Buddhist temple situated in Lahugala, Ampara District, Sri Lanka. The temple is located in Pansalgoda Grama Niladari division of Lahugala DS and lies on Colombo – Batticaloa main road about 10 km (6.2 mi) far from Pothuvil town. The temple has been formally recognized by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka. The protected monuments include the ancient Dagaba, building sites with stone pillars, flight of steps carved on natural rock plain and drip ledged caves. The Stupa in the Vihara has been identified as one of four Kota Vehera Styled structures found around Sri Lanka.

Puranic Significance

This is an ancient stupa belonging to the Kota Vehera Style lying on the Monaragala – Potvuil main road. Lahugala Kota Vehera has also been known as Kota Pabbatha, Kotagala Vehera and Lahugala Chethiya (Stupa). This complex is also said they have the largest image house ever found in the Rununa. It is the general belief that this was the home for novice monk who was reborn as King Dutugemunu and this stupa has been built to comomerate the birth of King Dutugemunu (161-131 BC). Mahavamsa, The Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka describes how a novice buddhist monk who lived in the Kotapabbatha (which is believed to be lahugala kota vehera) fell critically ill and how the queen viharamahadevi made a wish to him to become her son. The site has been neglected due to 30 years of Terrorist War the country faced.