Hello my fellow Architecture+Design community lovers,

How are you guys? I hope this beautiful week is spent productively. Last Sunday, I had an opportunity to visit Vaarana Rajamaha viharaya, another historical temple located in the Gampaha district of Sri Lanka, while returning from Kurunegala with family members. The history of Vaarana Rajamaha viharaya dates back to the royal dynasties of the past. Seeing such constructions built on rocks, it is impossible to imagine that there was such a beautiful architectural technique at that time. It is said that there are two ways to reach Vaarana Rajamaha viharaya. Coming from Kurunegala, we turned from Tihariya town on the main Colombo-Kandy road and reached the historic Vaarana Rajamaha Vihara along the Nittambuwa-Ogodapola road.

The plan can be seen in Vaarana Rajamaha viharaya when we park the van we were traveling in and move forward. Since it is given only in Sinhala language, a foreigner should get the language translation. This temple is maintained under the supervision of the Department of Archeology of Sri Lanka because of its historical value. The building seen at the entrance to the temple is really attractive. It was created in a shape that would appeal to everyone. Lotus flowers can be seen everywhere. The shape of the roof is similar to other historical temples. The old appearance has been kept in the same way even though renovations have been done from time to time. That's why the brightness in the photos is low.

One of the unique architectural designs found in Vaarana Rajamaha Viharaya is the Buddha House, which was dug out of the lower part of a large black rock. It is also possible that the first tunnel was created for the Buddha's house to be protected from foreign invasions during the reign of the kings. Due to the strength of the stone, the Buddha's house was not damaged. I was able to explore some of these historical temples built among the rocks during my architectural tours. The history of this temple dates back to the Anuradhapura era.

While walking in the grounds of Vaarana Rajamaha viharaya, one can see a Buddha chamber with beautiful murals called Medamaluwa. Before entering, one could see Bhairava figures, elephant figures and two dragon figures each to show the protection of the Buddha's house. Lotus and other floral carvings were also shown on the pillars and walls. Beautiful murals can be seen on either side of the golden Buddha statue. The overhead lights are also a prominent feature.

Three sculptures of three monks who contributed greatly in the development of Vaarana Rajamaha viharaya have been placed in commemoration. Although I don't have much knowledge about them, I was able to get a rough understanding because the monks were mentioned separately in Sinhala language.

Walking down the ground floor of the Vaarana Rajamaha Viharaya, we could see the traditional shaped pagoda. I won't add a picture of it as I couldn't see any distinct difference. It bears similarities to the pagoda shown in previously presented content. A samadhi Buddha statue and several stone moon lamps were also seen in the ground floor.

Vaarana Rajamaha Viharaya has a large space so you can explore freely. A large number of tourists visit this place every day because of the temple's historical value. One has to pass through some stone steps as they are carved between the rocks. For the convenience of the devotees, a small booth has also been built here to arrange the flower vases offered to the temple.

Next we had the opportunity to see the Bodhi tree, which is worshipped with great respect by Buddhists. A wall was built around this precious tree. Such walls are not seen in the every temple here in Sri Lanka. Also, the golden fence around many bodhi trees cannot be seen.

We next entered the most beautiful architectural landmarks inside the Vaarana Rajamaha Viharaya. It was dark inside and because of the light the statues and murals were glowing. We entered the Buddha center through a door with a very precious combination of colors. Looking at the door, it is obvious that blue and yellow are the perfect colors.

According to history, Vaarana Rajamaha Viharaya was built during the reign of King Devanampiyathissa, who ruled the country during the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka. It was also confirmed by the history subject when we were in school. It is said that when the South Indians invaded the city of Anuradhapura, King Walagamba, who ruled the country at that time, hid in this place and organized the army to save his kingdom. Later, the army led by King Walagamba saved the country from the South Indian invaders. A temple monk also confirmed that story. Later, changes were made in this temple under various kings.

Like the Buddha centers of other temples, the Buddha center of Vaarana Rajamaha Vihara can be seen with beautifully finished Buddha statues, images of deities and animals. On the walls, the model stories of the Buddha character were painted, and the Buddhist emblems were painted on the ceiling wall. A reclining Buddha statue can also be seen inside the Buddha Center. The way the folds are created in the robe of this Buddha statue is very realistic.

After that we entered the building full of the most valuable objects in the temple. We were lucky enough to see it with our own eyes as many relics of Buddha and Arhats were buried in that place. Words cannot describe the knowledge and experience I gained from seeing such a shrine full of Buddhist heritage. After visiting the place where Sarvajna relics are buried, we walked to the upper area.

The upper ground of the temple can be entered through a small jungle-like area. When you go to the upper ground of the Vaarana Rajamaha temple, you can see the ruins like the pond and the cave temple. I didn't take too many photos there because there were too many ruins.

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