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Rankoth Viharaya

Western Province Tourism
Rankoth Viharaya

Ancient remains of great civilizations always shrouded with greatest stories. Sri Lankan monuments are no different from the norms of such remains, always attributing to the folklore of the community. One of such monument that has a great historical value and is shrouded by the folklore is Rankoth Viharaya in Panadura. According to the legend of the temple, it was erected upon the soils of the land that proven anyone can triumph over the adversaries, - a tale of a cobra being attracted by an army of frogs on the land and later the landlord decided to changed into a temple land. The inception and construction of the temple has no great centuries due to its inception on past two centuries. First half of the centuries passed the temple was called Galwala or Galkanda Viharaya, but with a addition to the temple – the gold pinnacle, the temple was named after Golden-Pinnacle Temple or also known as the Rankoth Viharaya. Another folklore surrounded and proven true, about the Viharaya is the great debate known as Panadurawadaya was held in this temple. The great debate is over the teachings of Christianity and Buddhism with a overwhelmed victory favors to Buddhism, thus becoming the premier educational center for Buddhist teachings. In architecture’s point of view the image house is the prominent feature of the temple, consisting with two parts the inner shrine and the walled ambulatory area. The walls and the ceiling of the ambulatory area are filled with paintings of Jathaka Katha, the depiction of hell, the life story of Lord Buddha, amongst them the 'Maara Parajaya' – the defeat or taming of the devil, the Lord Buddha cremation ceremony, the distribution of the relics are the best and most infamous.

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