Kandy Temples, Sri Lanka.

Kandy is studded with temples. At the heart of the city stands the Sacred Temple of the Tooth — Sri Dalada Maligawa — regarded as the holiest temple in the world of Theravada Buddhism. Beyond this celebrated shrine, both the city and the surrounding countryside hold numerous temples and shrines belonging to the Kandyan era of Sri Lanka.

Two natural clusters draw the most attention. About 10 km west of Kandy, built during the period when the Kandyan kingdom was ruled from the city of Gampola, stand three of the most historically compelling temples: Gadaladeniya, Embekke Devale, and Lankathilaka Viharaya. Within 2 km to the east of Kandy are three further important temples: Gangarama Viharaya, Degaldoruwa Viharaya, and Galmaduwa Gedige.

Gadaladeniya Raja Maha Viharaya

Gadaladeniya Raja Maha Viharaya is built on a rock at the village of Gadaladeniya, on the border of Udunuwara and Yatinuwara in the Kandy District. The village itself is noted for its tradition of producing metalwork ornaments.

History

According to an inscription at the site, the temple was built by King Bhuvenkabahu the 4th in the year 1344 A.D. The same inscription records that it was named Dharmakirti Viharaya after the Buddhist monk who founded it. Two Buddhist literary works — The Nikaya Sangrahaya and Saddharmalankaraya — refer to the temple by the names "Saddharmatilaka" and "Gadaladeniya Viharaya" respectively. Gadaladeniya was also home to the celebrated scholar monks Daharamakirti the Second and Vimakiriti the First, whose contributions to the literary development of the era were, by contemporary accounts, of immense value.

The temple fell into neglect for a time, until King Narendrasinghe dedicated the shrine to Velivita Sangharaja, after which it remained in the custody of his pupillary succession.

The Main Shrine

The main shrine is built upon a rocky outcrop at the top of the monastery site and is South Indian in appearance. It houses a fine seated statue of the Buddha, framed by a Makara Torana — a Sinhala dragon arch — decorated with numerous images of gods. According to the Gadaladeniya inscription, these images represent the deities Salerea, Brahma, Suyama, Santhusthika, Natha, and Maithri. Standing statues of the Buddha are placed on either side of the central seated figure.

The Secondary Shrine

In the middle of the temple compound stands a secondary shrine with wings extending at cruciform angles. Each wing forms a small Buddha shrine, topped by a sikhara in matching proportions, arranged around a larger sikhara mounted at the hub where the wings meet.

Embekke Devale

The Embekke Devale shrine is located in the village of Embekke, close to Daulgala in the Udunuwara division, about eight miles from Kandy. Like Gadaladeniya, it dates to the period when Gampola served as the royal seat, and it stands as one of the most visited of the western cluster of Kandyan-era sacred sites.