This “Athkanda Viharaya” is a crypt temple. it is note in “Maha wanshaya” this was built king “Suratissa”. But it is  in  many time reconstruction.  In this temple there are two idol make of stone. it cover by mortar and the  robe design the  style of the Kandy. This idol make of stone belonging to period of Anuradapuraya. This crypt temple co-adjacent another small crypt temple. In these two temple with paintings on the roof and display the “Sathsatiya”. In small  crypt temple there are “Mahindagamanaya”, ”Pajapati Gathamige Katina Chiwara Pojawa” and “Pidusiga wadima to Rajagaha Nuwara” painted on the wall. in present this ruins of edifice with elevated stone, stone engraving board and stone towers who was built the king I “Agbo”.

One of the oldest temple. Have valuble wall arts from mahanuwara rajadaniya era...

A historical temple in Kurunegala

A good budhist temple located at the tallest rock in Kurunegala. Nice and calm environment. The view is relaxing and can be seen all around from top of the rock.

This ancient Buddhist temple is situated in Kurunegala - Kandy road, just 400 m from Kurunegala clock tower. Provide a great service to the area over the years.

Athkanda Raja Maha Viharaya Athkanda Raja Maha Viharaya also known as Ethkanda Viharaya is a Buddhist temple placed in the Kurunegala city in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka. It is believed that this temple was built in the Dambadeniya era during 14-15 centuries. About the destination The history of the establishment of Athkanda Viharaya is obscure. However, a name similar to this temple has been recorded in several chronicles in the country which include Mahavamsa, Sahassavattuppakaranaya, Saddharmalankaraya, Rasavahini, and Vamsattappakasini. According to the information given in Mahavamsa, it’s assumed that this temple may have been established during the reign of King Suratissa. This temple is believed to have received the royal patronage of prince Buvanekabahu and Bosat Vijayabahu at some stage in the Dambadeniya period. The Asgiri Thalpatha is famous because the Buddhist monks who had been touring to Kandy in the arrangements made by King Parakramabahu IV (c.1305-1326 A.D.) had been accommodated at Athkanda Vihara in Kurunegala till king’s officials were capable of taking them to Asgiri monastery at Senkadagala. Also, a few statistics referred to as Thalkola Seetu offer some information about the temple and its in- charge monks during the 18-19th century A.D.

Nestled in the heart of Kurunegala, Athkanda Raja Maha Viharaya stands as a captivating blend of history, tranquility, and artistic beauty. Believed to date back to the 14th-15th centuries, this Buddhist temple boasts ancient caves adorned with vibrant Kandyan-era paintings and statues of Buddha. It's a beautiful place ♥

A good temple for Buddhist people

According to details about this “Athkanda Viharaya” belonging previous period before Buddhism come in to Sri Lanka  there are human settlement. Note in legend and the idea of the scholars. This rock was use for “Surya Wandanawa” and also the aborigine people who lived focus at one's feet of the rock. after-ward the details about “Athkanda Viharaya” note in our chronicles. In “Maha Wanshaya” this temple was built the king”Suratissa ” (c:e 187-177) who was the brother the king II “Patis” and also According to “Maha Wanshaya”  the king I “Agbo” (c:e 571-604) was built a edifice for this temple. in future this is important  to period of Kurunagala. This “Athkanda Viharaya” is a crypt temple. it is note in “Maha wanshaya” this was built king “Suratissa”. But it is  in  many time reconstruction.  In this temple there are two idol make of stone. it cover by mortar and the  robe design the  style of the Kandy. This idol make of stone belonging to period of Anuradapuraya. This crypt temple co-adjacent another small crypt temple. In these two temple with paintings on the roof and display the “Sathsatiya”. In small  crypt temple there are “Mahindagamanaya”, ”Pajapati Gathamige Katina Chiwara Pojawa” and “Pidusiga wadima to Rajagaha Nuwara” painted on the wall. in present this ruins of edifice with elevated stone, stone engraving board and stone towers who was built the king I “Agbo”.

This is a very old This is where the 550th Jataka was written in this ancient Rajamaha temple

Good place for religious activities of buddhists

Famous and historical temple in Kurunegala

There are “Elugala”, “Adagala” ,“ Kuruminiyagala” ,”Yaddessagala”, “Angangala” and “Ibbagala” mountain around this temple. There are big rock like as a “Athkandak” this is become “Athkada Viharaya”. This “Athkanda” rock was called “Hasthi Shailla” and “Hasthi Sela” in past. According to details about this “Athkanda Viharaya” belonging previous period before Buddhism come in to Sri Lanka there are human settlement. Note in legend and the idea of the scholars. This rock was use for “Surya Wandanawa” and also the aborigine people who lived focus at one's feet of the rock. after-ward the details about “Athkanda Viharaya” note in our chronicles. In “Maha Wanshaya” this temple was built the king”Suratissa ” (c:e 187-177) who was the brother the king II “Patis” and also According to “Maha Wanshaya” the king I “Agbo” (c:e 571-604) was built a edifice for this temple. in future this is important to period of Kurunagala.

A free place with a lot of space, where a disciplined group of people live. I have seen a large number of different types of works. In this library consisting of English and Tamil languages, there were no books in "Sinhala" language and books teaching that culture. If so, national reconciliation will get another boost.

Athkanda Rajamaha Viharaya in Kurunegala town is a peaceful Buddhist temple. It's a calm and quiet place, perfect for serenity seekers.

This temple is center history of the Kurunegala kingdom. An having a 'panchathanthraya'' original book is this. Very good place.I appreciate all Buddies people's and all religions this temple.

English medium dhmma school is conducted from 1300 h to 1500h.

Ancient temple with cave structures having both Buddhist cultural and archeological value

The idenfication of Kurunegala temple

Peaceful.

Very good place... Love it

,nice & relaxing. Easily accessible

One of old temple in kurunegala, ancient ruins are available. you must visit this temple on you trip via Kurunegala

This temple is a oldest temples in our country.this temple located in katugastota puttalam road and about 500 meters far from kurunegala town.

This place is verry beautiful and peaceful .

Nice Buddhist religious place

A historical Buddhist temple under rock. It situated near main town.

Blessed

Very nice place

Peaceful and historical area..

Ancient place at famous Athugal's feet. Nowadays it's landscape seems bit unorganised may be due to ongoing construction.

sri lanka kurunegala

Calm and nice place to relax

You must visit this place for keeps your mind healthy

Very calm and beautiful temple good to visit on a Poya day

Largest buddhist temple in kurunegala town Near athugala rock

Beautiful place

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Best temple

Good

Historical

Nice place

Calm historic temple near kurunegala city .

Historical temple

Historical buddhist temple. Ancient place at famous Athugala feet.

Ancient temple with cave structures having both Buddhist cultural and archeological value..

Historical Buddhist temple located on kandy kurunegala road walking distance from kurunegala town. Very calm place specially in the evening. There is a cave temple as well. Provides an excellent service to biddhists in the area. Also giving leadership for solving many national issue..

Woship place

Calm place. It has all facilities for visitors such as wash rooms , dining area. better to visit morning or late evening for Budha stachu as bit hard to when sun is there.

This ancient Buddhist temple

☸️ Historical temple in Kurunegala

🙏🙏🙏🙏

Buddhist temple

Its heritage temple

One of the oldest temples in Kurunegala. It has historically significant even from the king's era. Great place for observing sil in Poyadays also.

(Translated by Google) The temple is situated at the foot of the Athugala, in the center of the town, which is a gem of a Kurunegala district. The temple is said to have been built by King Suratissa (187 - 177 BCE), who was the king's great-great-grandfather after the arrival of Mahindasena. The Bodhi tree here belongs to the Anuradhapura period. Also, King Agrabod I of AD. It is said that this temple was built as a bonus during the period 571-604. There are ruins and two statues belonging to the Anuradhapura period. They are refined and painted. There is another small cave with the main cave of the temple. Accordingly, this temple belongs to the cave temple. The Seven Week is depicted as a canopy of both cave temples. There are many antiquities in the temple, such as the 'Mahinda Gama' (Murals), Prajapathi Gothami's Katina Cheevara Pooja and the rise of Rajagaha. Dabara, or water filter, is made of a special type of rock. It is also customary to display the 'Jataka Katha' book in the Viharaya and display it around the city in procession. It was a royal decree of King Panditha Parakramabahu who ruled in Dambadeniya. And also in AD. It is customary after 1815 for witnesses to come to the temple to take oaths before the court officials and to swear at the Jathaka Kathakaya. (Original) කුරුණැගල දිස්ත‍්‍රික්කයට මානික්‍යයක් බදු වු නගර මධ්‍යයේ ඇතුගල පාමුල මෙම විහාරය පිහිටා ඇත. මහින්දාගමනයෙන් පසු දෙවන පෑතිස්ස රජුගේ නියමයෙන් ඒ රජුගේ මයිලනුවෙකු වු සූරතිස්ස නම් රජතුමා ( ක‍්‍රි.පූ. 187 - 177 ) වකවානුවේ දී මෙම විහාරය කරවූ බව පැවසේ. මෙහි පිහිටි බෝධි වෘක්ෂය අනුරාධපුර යුගයට අයත් වේ. එසේම 1වන අග‍්‍රබෝධ් රජතුමා ක‍්‍රි.ව. 571 - 604 වකවානුවේ දී මෙම විහාරයට ප‍්‍රාසාදයක් ඉදිකරවා දුන් බව පැවසේ. එහි නටඹුන් ද අනුරාධපුර යුගයට අයත් සෙල්මුවා පිළිම දෙකක් ද දක්වට ඇත. ඒවා පිරියම් කරවා වර්ණගන්වා ඇත. මෙම විහාරයේ ප‍්‍රධාන ලෙන සමඟ තවත් කුඩා ලෙනක් ඇත. ඒ අනුව මෙම විහාරය ලෙන් විහාර ඝනයට අයත් වේ. මෙම ලෙන් විහාර දෙකෙහිම වියන් චිත‍්‍ර දර්ශනිය ලෙස සත් සතිය නිරූපනය කර ඇත. බිතු සිතුවම් මඟින් මහින්දගමනය- ප‍්‍රජාපතී ගෝතමියගේ කඨින චීවර පූජාව- රජගහ නුවර පිඩුසිඟා වැඞීම ආදීය සිතුවම් කර මෙම විහාරස්ථානය තුළ පුරාවස්තු රැසක් ඇත. ඒ අතර විශේෂිත පාෂාණ වර්ගයකින් සාදන ලද ඩබරාව හෙවත් ජල පෙරනය වැදගත් තැනක් ගනී. එමෙන්ම මෙම විහාරයේ තැන්පත් කර ඇති ජාතක කතා පොත් වහන්සේ නම් ග‍්‍රන්ථය ඇතුපිට තබා පෙරහරින් නගරය වටා ප‍්‍රදක්ෂිණා කිරීම සිරිතකි. එය දඹදෙණියේ රජකළ පණ්ඩිත පරාක‍්‍රමභාහු රජතුමාගේ රාජ නියෝගයකි. එමෙන්ම ක‍්‍රි.ව. 1815 න් පසු කුරුණැගල උසාවියේ නඩු කටයුතු වල දී මෙම විහාරයට පැමිණි සාක්ෂිකරුවන් උසාවි නිලධාරීන් ඉදිරිපිට දී ජාතක කතා පොත් වහන්සේට අතතබා දිව්රීමේ සිරිතක් පැවතී ඇත.