Kandy Temples, Sri Lanka.

Kandy is studded with temples. The Sacred Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) at the heart of the city is the holiest temple in the world of Theravada Buddhism. The city of Kandy and countryside of Kandy boast of numerous temples and shrines that belong to Kandyan era of Sri Lanka.

Among the most interesting temple are Gadaladeniya, Embekke Devale and Lankathilaka Viharaya located 10km west of Kandy built during the time Kandyan kingdom was ruled from the city of Gampola.To the east of Kandy within 2km are another three important temples: Gangarama Viharaya, Degaldoruwa Viharaya and Galmaduwa Gedige.

Gadaladeniya Raja Maha Viharaya, Kandy

Gadaladeniya Raja Maha Viharaya, Kandy is built on a rock at the village of Gadaladeniya on the border of Udunuwara and Yatinuwara. of Kandy District. Gadaladeniya is a popular village that produces traditional metalwork ornaments of Sri Lanka.

Gadaladeniya Raja Maha Viharaya

History
According to an inscription at the site, Gadaladeniya temple was built by King Bhuvenkabahu the 4th in the year 1344 A.D. According to the inscription, the temple was named Dharmakirti Viharaya after the name of the Buddhist monk who founded it. A couple of Buddhist literary works titled "The Nikaya Sangrahaya" and "Saddharmalankaraya" had named the temple "Saddharmatilaka" and "Gadaladeniya Viharaya" respectively.
Gadaladeniya was home to the celebrated scholor monks Daharamakirti the second and Vimakiriti the first whose contributions towards the literary development of the times was of immense value to the nation.
The temple remained neglected till the time of King Narendrasinghe who dedicated the shrine to Velivita Sangharaja and since then the temple was in the custody of his papillary succession.

Gadaladeniya Raja Maha Viharaya

The main shrine
The main shrine, built upon a rocky outcrop at the top end of the monastery site is of South Indian appearance. It houses a fine seated statue of Buddha framed by a Makara Torana (Sinhala: dragon arch) decorated with numerous images of gods, over it. The images as described in the Gadaladeniya inscription represent the deities Salerea, Brahma, Suyama, Santhusthika, Natha and Maithri. On either side of the main seated statue is a standing statue of Buddha.

Gadaladeniya Raja Maha Viharaya

The secondary shrine
In the middle of the temple compound, is a secondary shrine with wings extending in cruciform angles. Each wing is a small Buddha shrine with a sikhara in matching proportions and weight mounted over it surrounding the larger sikhara mounted on the hub of the wings.

Embekke Devale, Kandy


Embekke Devale shrine is located in the village of Embekke close to Daulgala of Udunuwara division, about eight miles from Kandy.

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