Sri Pushparama Vihara (Sinhala: ශ්රී පුෂ්පාරාම විහාරය) is a historic Buddhist temple situated in Balapitiya, Southern province, Sri Lanka. The Vihara is also known as Nayaka Pansala (Head temple) as it serve as the headquarters for the Mulaghandi Sect of Amarapura Nikaya.[1] It is located in on the Colombo-Galle main road approximately 1.5 km (0.93 mi) away from the Balapitiya town. The temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka. The designation was declared on 6 June 2008 under the government Gazette number 1553.[2]
| Sri Pushparama Vihara | |
|---|---|
ශ්රී පුෂ්පාරාම විහාරය | |
.jpg) The Dhamma discourse hall of the Vihara | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| District | Galle |
| Province | Southern Province |
| Location | |
| Location | Welithara, Balapitiya, Sri Lanka |
| Geographic coordinates | 06°17′29.9″N 80°02′31.7″E / 6.291639°N 80.042139°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Buddhist Temple |
The temple is popular among the devotees as its Dhamma discourse hall has very unusual architectural features similar to a Church. The design of the front facade as well as the doors and windows of the hall are based on colonial church architecture. Inside the hall, two wooden staircases from the two sides lead into a balcony which runs round the inner hall.[3] On the top part of the facade is a British insignia with a date reading 2414 in Buddhist years.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Manjula, H.A.K.L. (14 May 2019). "Sri Pushparama Viharaya (Balapitiya)". Lankapradeepa. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ Gazette 1553 & 6 June 2008, p. 524.
- ^ Nimal De Siva; D.P. Chandrasekara (2009). Heritage buildings of Sri Lanka#Preaching hall of Amarapura Mulagandhi Nikaye Mulasthana Nayaka Pansala, Balapitiya. Colombo: The national trust Sri Lanka. p. 96. ISBN 978-955-0093-01-4.
- ^ "Not a church, but a temple". The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka). Wijeya Newspapers. 21 November 1999. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
Works cited
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