Two Lost Temples

A medieval pilgrimage to two of Sri Lanka’s little visited but most iconic ancient Buddhist temples

Dating to the early Medieval period and representing some of the finest and most unusual architect of the period are: the Lankatilaka and Gadaladenyia temples.

Both combine extraordinary architecture with an abiding atmosphere of Buddhist calm.

LANKATILAKA VIHARA
Built by King Bhuvanekabahu IV (1341 - 1351 A. D.), Lankatilaka Vihara is considered one of the greatest medieval buildings on the island, its architect, as is the way with all great architects, blowinbg his budget, not least on the wages for the Tamil Pandya sculptors brought from Tamil Nadu to create stunning sculptures. As the Black Death destroyed faraway Europe, Sri Lanka’s late medieval kings enlisted the artistry of a Tamil architect famous for his Hindu temples to create a Buddhist edifice that merged the Sinhalese architecture of Polonnaruwa period with Dravidian and Indo Chinese flourishes. It could have been a car crash of a building; instead Sthapati Rayar, the architect, pulled off a masterpiece. Elegant, highly incised white walls stretch into a roof of patterned tiles across three granite stories, the inside adorned with frescos.

GADALADENYIA VIHARA
Another of King Bhuvanekabahu IV’s creations (1341 - 1351 A. D.), Gadaladenyia Vihara, this largest of all island rock temples is the work of the Tamil architect, Ganesvarachari. It is a wonderous mixing of Dravidian and Sinhalese architecture - with a dash of Chinese architectural patterns, perhaps inspired by the intrepid voyages undertaken by the Ming Dynasty’s Admiral Zheng who visited the island and eagerly got himself involved with its politics.









To arrange the tour please contact the Hotel Office.