Ridi Viharaya

Ridi Viharaya means the silver temple, and the name comes from the story that a silver ore deposit was found here in the second century BC at the moment it was needed to finish the great stupa at Anuradhapura, and a temple was built on the spot in thanks. The caves hold a reclining Buddha, painted walls, and an ivory-inlaid door, and the floor of one shrine is laid with blue and white Dutch delft tiles given in the eighteenth century.

Background

The temple dates from the reign of Dutthagamani of Anuradhapura, who ruled from 161 BCE to 137 BCE. The king is said to have employed 300 masons and 700 other workers, among them his chief artisan Vishwakarma Prathiraja. Later rulers paid for repairs and additions, among them Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa (1153-1186 CE) and Amandagamani Abhaya (21-31 CE). In the 18th century, under the Kandyan king Kirti Sri Rajasinha (1746-1778 CE), the temple was revived. About twenty-five caves surround it. Inside are a 9-metre recumbent Buddha and a gold-plated Buddha from the Anuradhapura era. The site became an archaeological protected monument on 11 August 1967 and lies about 18 kilometres northeast of Kurunegala.

Source: Wikipedia, "Ridi Viharaya"

The main sights

• The delft tile floor - Dutch blue and white tiles laid in an eighteenth-century shrine.
• The reclining Buddha - a large figure in the main cave.
• The ivory door - inlaid work on the shrine entrance.
• The cave paintings - Kandyan-period murals across the shrine walls.

When to go

January to April is the driest and most comfortable. Mornings are quietest. Poya days bring worshippers.

Before you go

The temple is active and shoes must be removed on hot stone. Photography inside is restricted. The site is off the main routes and needs a vehicle.

Nearby

Kurunegala is southwest, and Arankele is north.

Key facts