Maahmpita Raja Maha Viharaya

Located in the area of Maahmpita in Galigamuwa is a beautiful shrine; a temple that exudes tranquility and spirituality even from a distance. The Maahmpita Raja Maha Viharaya is a Buddhist temple that is set amid stunning scenery and uninterrupted nature. With an interesting story that echoes back to the ages, this religious edifice is something that many people who travel to Sri Lanka do not know about. In fact, it is a place that most locals in the country do not know about save for those from the villages around.

If you take the Colombo Kandy road you will come to a junction called Yattohogod between Nelumdeniya and Galgamuwa. Take the run onto the Beligala road from this junction and travel about 300 meteres until you reach a road called Maahmpita road on to your left. Carry on along this road to the very end where the beautiful temple is located. The amount of time that you would take to get here is roughly between 2.5 to 3 hours from Colombo, it could even be much less depending upon traffic.

You can actually travel here at any time of the year if you do not mind the rains. However, if you do not wish to travel in the rain you should definitely go here between August and September which happen to be the dry months. December to February too could be favourable although there may be a slight chance of showers.

Historical significance and story behind Maahmpita Raja Maha Viharaya

If you are interested in knowing the story about the temple, ask any of the locals in the area and they would be more than happy to tell you the tales that have been handed down from generation to generation across the years. The cave temple is believed to have served as a hiding place for King Valagamba and it is also a well-known fact that the king had many such caves and places where he would hide out. This particular cave later transformed into the temple that it is today.

Perhaps the biggest historical significance in this temple and one of the most intriguing factors would also be the massive stone inscription that measures 12 by 14 feet. It is over 2000 years old and records one of the earliest instances of money being paid for services that were rendered. While natural elements and wear and tear over time has made some of the inscription illegible, from what can be deciphered it is apparent that a gem dealer named Manikara and a village headman named Hudaka paid for irrigation work.

Another fascinating fact about this temple is the stone replica of the Buddha’s footprint a sit appears atop the Adam’s Peak. The replica is located at the top of the rock where the temple has been built. It is said that this was a common practice of the kings at that time so that it would be easier for locals to pay homage to the hallowed footprint of the Buddha. Another special attraction in the area would be Ballumgala which offers the traveler a splendid vista of the verdant countryside all around.