Wewurukannala Viharaya
Located 15 miles east of Matara, the town of Dikwella houses one of Sri Lanka's most impressive Buddhist temples, the Wewurukannala Vihara. This temple boasts a 160ft high seated Buddha statue, the largest in Sri Lanka, which dates back to the time of King Rajadhi (1782 – 1798).
The temple is divided into three parts, with the oldest section being around 250 years old. However, it holds little interest for visitors. The second part showcases life-size models of demons and sinners in graphic detail, depicting the punishments that await those who don't follow the path to enlightenment. These punishments include being drowned in boiling cauldrons, sawn in half, disembowelled, and more. Finally, there is the enormous seated Buddha, towering as high as an eight-story building.
The temple's walls offer a path towards enlightenment through hundreds of comic strip representations of events in the Buddha's life. Among them is the Chulla Dhammapala Jataka, which tells the story of King Mah...
The temple is divided into three parts, with the oldest section being around 250 years old. However, it holds little interest for visitors. The second part showcases life-size models of demons and sinners in graphic detail, depicting the punishments that await those who don't follow the path to enlightenment. These punishments include being drowned in boiling cauldrons, sawn in half, disembowelled, and more. Finally, there is the enormous seated Buddha, towering as high as an eight-story building.
The temple's walls offer a path towards enlightenment through hundreds of comic strip representations of events in the Buddha's life. Among them is the Chulla Dhammapala Jataka, which tells the story of King Mah...
