5/5 Dilshan Madushanka S. 10 months ago on Google
Asgiriya
Raja
Maha
Vihara
is
an
ancient
cave
temple
situated
in
Gampaha
District,
Sri
Lanka.
The
temple
is
located
on
top
of
a
hillock
on
the
Gampaha
-
Minuwangoda
road
and
approximately
2
km
away
from
Gampaha
town.
The
temple
has
been
formally
recognised
by
the
Government
as
an
archaeological
site
in
Sri
Lanka.
The
temple
is
said
to
have
been
founded
by
King
Walagamba
in
the
2nd
century
BC.
It
is
one
of
the
two
main
seats
of
the
Siyam
Nikaya,
the
largest
Buddhist
sect
in
Sri
Lanka.
The
other
main
seat
is
the
Malwatta
Maha
Vihara
in
Kandy.
The
temple
complex
is
home
to
a
number
of
important
Buddhist
relics,
including
a
tooth
of
the
Buddha.
There
are
also
a
number
of
caves
and
shrines
within
the
complex,
some
of
which
date
back
to
the
Anuradhapura
period.
Asgiriya
Raja
Maha
Vihara
is
a
popular
tourist
destination,
and
is
especially
crowded
during
the
Esala
Perahera,
a
major
Buddhist
festival
held
in
July
or
August
each
year.
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