HISTORICAL PLACE IN MY AREA


ALUVIHARE ROCK TEPLE


The ALUVIHARE ROCK TEMPLE (also called Matale Alu Viharaya) situated in my area. Alu Viharaya is a sacred BUDDHIST temple located in Aluvihare, Matale District of Sri Lanka. The Aloka Vihara became Aluvihare. Folklore has many meanings to the name Aluvihara. One is that the pali word Aloka was Alu (light) in ancient Sinhala and  as it was the abode of Theras, it was a Viharaya. Hence the two words have been coined to make it Aluvihara.


Another view is that although there is a huge rock, east of the main rock cave, it has not cut off the light. Therefore it was known as the Aloka Lena (cave with light) .Surrounded by hills, the famous Aluvihara cave temple 8km far in my house. The history of Aluvihara is traced back to the 3rd century B.C in the reign of King DEVANAMPIYATISSA. It is believed that the King built the dagaba and planted the Bo sapling. 

                                          To enter the Aluvihara one has to climbed a number of steps. In the Viharaya is a rock cave with paintings  and statues in it. The Ven. Dr. Inamaluwe Nandarathana Thera explained that the paintings are of 'Anothatta Vila' 'Dhamsoda Jathakaya, Huridattha Jathakaya, "Maithri Bodhisattva" and a few others. In another section. The Vessanthara Jathakaya has been painted. At the entrance there is a " Makara Thorana" figures of Doratupala paintings of lions and flags with the sun and moon.

On inspecting a rock there was a Bo tree carved on it. Climbing another rock, carved there was a foot print and shapes of two oil lamps. Just below this rock was a gap which King WALAGAMBA had escaped and gone in to hiding. In the Sangayana Lena there is a painting of the Maha Rahathan Theras writing the Tripitaka on talipot leaves. 

The significance of Aluvihara is the writing of the Tripitaka in pali (Buddhist scriptures- Vinaya Pitaka, Abhidhamma Pitaka and Sutra Pitaka). After the Buddha's Parinirvana, the Buddha Dhamma was                                                              passed on from generation to generation verbally by his pupils.

Aluvihare Rock temple was the historic location where the Pali Canon was first written down completely in text on OLA LEAVES. Many monastery caves, some of which exhibit frescoes are situated near this temple.
So Matale ALUVIHARE ROCK TEMPLE is very famous and important place in our country. 



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