Weherahena Viharaya
Weherahena Temple, also known as Veherahena, is a popular destination for Buddhist pilgrims. Despite having no significant historical background, the temple's story is intriguing. Moreover, it is considered to be the world's first and largest tunnel temple.
Although it is said that the temple was once inhabited by arahant bhikkhus in ancient Sri Lanka, the temple's story begins in the early 20th century. Most Ven. Parawahera Rewatha Thero was sent to the Weherahena area as punishment by his teacher. At that time, Weherahena was merely a half-acre jungle with a Bodhi tree. Ven. Rewatha Thero came with only a blanket, mattress, and bowl.
He managed to organize the villagers and build a small clay house for himself, but soon he had an ambitious plan to build the largest Buddha statue in the world and a tunnel temple, similar to the Ummaga Jathaka story.
With the support of Anagarika Dharmapala, a prominent figure in the Buddhist Revival movement in Sri Lanka and India, the founda...
Although it is said that the temple was once inhabited by arahant bhikkhus in ancient Sri Lanka, the temple's story begins in the early 20th century. Most Ven. Parawahera Rewatha Thero was sent to the Weherahena area as punishment by his teacher. At that time, Weherahena was merely a half-acre jungle with a Bodhi tree. Ven. Rewatha Thero came with only a blanket, mattress, and bowl.
He managed to organize the villagers and build a small clay house for himself, but soon he had an ambitious plan to build the largest Buddha statue in the world and a tunnel temple, similar to the Ummaga Jathaka story.
With the support of Anagarika Dharmapala, a prominent figure in the Buddhist Revival movement in Sri Lanka and India, the founda...
