The Maligathenna Rest Monastery is located in the Maligathenna area between Miriswatta and Wathurugama in the Gampaha district of the western province. To reach the temple, take the Miriswatta – Wathurugama road and travel approximately one kilometer along the road to the left of the Maligathenna crossing. After such a journey, you will come across the Rest Monastery of Maligathenna and you will have to climb a little higher to enter the sanctuary. There is a stone staircase prepared for that. At the entrance to Saturn there is a sign that describes the internal location of the temple. Provides information on the location of Saturn’s buildings.
Maligathenna’s resting place is on a rocky outcrop. The area where the temple is located is also surrounded by large black rocks. A beautiful and serene temple has been built on this topography. A special feature of this temple is that it has made good use of the diversity of the land and has built elaborate elements to adapt to it.
The temple consists of two parts, the upper courtyard and the lower courtyard. The lower courtyard is formed by the Mandir Buddha, the Bo tree, the Chaitya, the Bana Maduwa, the Avasa Kuti. Going to the upper courtyard of the temple is a bit of a difficult task. On the one hand, it is a journey through a small forest and, on the other hand, the path is made of rocks. Stone steps have been erected in some places, but not in many others. Traveling around those places can be a little daunting.
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However, after that difficult journey, travel fatigue automatically decreases due to the stunning view of the patio above. The Maligathenna can be seen from the top of the hill from a long distance. When viewed from the top of the hill, one can see the palaces kissing the Colombo sky on one side and the central hills on the other.
Historic information of Maligathenna
“Maligathenna was consecrated in 903 AD by Venerable Amittahawa, who was at the top of the hill after taking a walk while walking the Movita. He lived here for seven years. Fearing the enormity of King Dhatusena, the chief king of the whole country, the Mughal prince hid himself here and went to Dambadiva. King Walagam Aba was also protected during the Battle of Censorship. From time immemorial, this place was known as Hon. Kanda. Then a Dambadiva Theravada Brahmin came here, made a belt to imagine the ghost of Vishnu, attained great purity, and chanted mantras. The cave was called Hakkara Lena because of the japa necklace that descended there. It is currently the site of a stone door on the ground floor.
The name ‘Maliga’ appeared everywhere in Datha. It was a secret place where the Tooth Relic arose, but later this place was also known as Maligathenna. King Keerthi Nissanka received that name in his day. At that time there was only one village here in Uruwala. Thihariya was a path between Attanagalla and Uruwala between Keragala. Angi Rata’s sacred relics were hidden underground in the standard place called the flat pool of this palace. It was unearthed and the relics were hidden and removed two weeks later. This pond was excavated in the 18th century. Before this, the Tooth Relic was kept in a large cave on the ground floor of the temple and was kept among the robes for three weeks.
Viewed from above, the Great Rock of Uruwa was erected from the northwest by a Mughal prince. While hiding there, Prince Kasyapa had begun building Sigiriya. Prince Parakumba escaped from his stepfather and took refuge in Uruwala. A man named ‘Jagarath Rala’ from Uruwela at that time swore allegiance to him as a giant and ate rice together at a meeting place. There he became known as the Church. Furthermore, to commemorate its association with pork, this Peru was renamed Uruwal Peru and was handed over to the Jagarath Rala as a dormitory. ”
The previous document was in the possession of a gentleman named Sunil Ekanayake who is dedicated to studying the historical information of the Maligathenna Temple and the facts mentioned here have not been 100% verified. But some of the place descriptions mentioned there are similar to current places.
In this regard, the Maligathenna Temple was built as a temple as recently as 1924, but it appears to have a longer history. Although the Maligathenna Temple has existed since the 18th century, it became a temple known only after the arrival of Venerable Menikdiwela Shangari Devananda Thero. That was in 1924. At that time there was no building associated with a temple here and now ‘Buma Kattadi’ and his brother lived with their wives and children in the Great Cave of the Rock, where the Bana Maduwa and the Shrine of Buddha and another nearby cave. Additionally, there was a cave with a stone gate, a stone considered a treasure stone, and a Bo tree in the upper courtyard. At the time, the villagers considered it a place where the Bo tree had influence and used to go on pilgrimage. The reason for this devotion is that many of them have seen the gods walking near this Bo tree.