Mirissa Hotels boast ofSri Sharavi Beach Villasas their darling out of all hotels. Situated in the coastal belt of Southern Sri Lanka, in Mirissa, it is synonymous with elegance, luxury, bliss and tranquility.

Just 35 minutes and 16 kilometers away from Mirissa, nestled on the Kekanadura road throughWeherahena,and approximately 6km from the Matara townyou find a treasure. It is the Weherahena Temple whose temple complex spans three acres of land and is known as the first tunnel temple in the world.

The immense Buddha statue which is located in the temple complex and is 88 cubits in height, takes center stage whilst the chetiya (pagoda), sacred Bo-Treeand Samadhi Buddha statue are also part and parcel of the totality of the shrine. The Buddha statue faces east of the temple. A courtyard hugs the forward-facing area of the statue, which consists of two ponds which add to the serenity and peace of the temple complex.

The tunnel walls are decorated with Buddha frescoes, and historical records state that they depict the legends of the UmmaggaJathaka and Umandawa which narrates about panditMahaushada.

The temple was founded by the most Rev. ParawaheraRewathaAnunahimiwhile the foundation stone was laid by AnagarikaDharmapala on the 05th of March 1939. The completion of this monolithic Buddha statue and the temple complex took a tedious 29 years. 1968 saw the temple ready to enfold worshippers to its bosom but it also experienced the sorrow of the demise of its founder. His successor Rev.DaulagalaSangarathanaNayakaThero developed the temple as an educational and cultural entity, doing much valuable work in training Buddhist monks as missionaries to foreign countries, in spreading the Damma.

Rev.KegalleRathanasaraThero took over the reins of the temple subsequent to Rev.DaulagalaSangarathanaNayakaThero. Under his aegis, the temple received further development in many ways and is now being expanded as a sacred city.

 

Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.

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