Gadaladeniya Viharaya

An inscription on the rock outcrop it rests on indicates that Gadaladeniya Viharaya (aka Gadaladeniya Rajamaha Viharaya) was built in 1344. As for many temples of this era, it is possible that an even older temple used to be in place, but this is all but impossible to ascertain.

What is certain is that at that time Sri Lanka was not a unified entity yet. In fact, the island was fragmented into several kingdoms, and this temple was part of the Kingdom of Gampola, which was based in the homonymous city located about 10 km (about 6 miles) from the temple. The ruler, King Buvanekabahu IV, commissioned the construction of this temple, calling on a South Indian architect by the name of Ganesvarachari.  This explains the blend of Sinhalese and Dravidian architectural features.

The main temple is made of carved granite, with the exception of chamber where the main statue of the Buddha is located, which made of bricks.  The large statue of the Buddha is also made of bricks and mortar, but covered with lime and sand, and eventually painted gold. Across a natural pond formed in a dip of the rock is the secondary shrine. Built a few years after the main temple, it consists of a central stupa with four smaller stupas attached to it. Each one of these smaller stupas is home to a statue of the Four Heavenly Kings.

Charming as the complex may be, the distinction between Sinhalese and Dravidian elements is not obvious to the untrained eye. A signature trait of South Indian architecture is the stepped pyramidal roof, which is often adorned with a myriad of religious figures. This would be a conspicuous omission at Gadaladeniya Viharaya, but in reality, it still exists, albeit hidden under the Sinhalese-style roof that nowadays covers the temple.

Visible evidence of Dravidian design can be found in the alternating octagonal and square cross-sections design of the pillars in the vestibule; furthermore, these pillars are adorned with carvings of deities like Nataraja and Krishna, which clearly suggest South Indian influences. As for Singhalese architectural influences, beside the already mentioned roof of the temple, there is a stupa, a moonstone at the entrance, and the three-sided twin pillars in the hall, all of which point at local sensibilities.     

On the northeastern side of the temple are some stone-cut steps leading down to one of the gates onto a side road.  On the left of these steps, a section of the rock is fenced off. Ancient inscriptions are carved into the surface of this protected area. They are in Singhalese, except the first line, which is in Sanskrit.  It is here that the date of construction of the temple is recorded.