Description

Wewurukannala Vihara temple is located Fifteen miles east of Matara in Dikwella, one of the most impressive Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka. An image of a seated Buddha dominates the Wewurukannala Vihara temple. It is 160ft high, a giant statue in Sri Lanka and dates back to King Rajadhi 1782 – 1798.
The temple has three sections, the most beloved being about 250 years old; but, this is of no particular interest.
The temple walls explain the path towards enlightenment by depicting hundreds of comic strip representations of Buddha’s life events. Amongst one of the chapters is the Chulla Dhammapala Jataka. It explains how King Maha Prathapa of Varanasi, on accessing the palace, found the queen holding her seven-month-old child. After neglecting him, the King was humiliated, so he ordered that the prince be executed, and the body was thrown into the air. Many Jataka Stories are also amid the paintings, which were chosen for Vesak stamps in 1991. One depicts The Kattahari Jataka, showing Prince Kastavahana, son of King Brahmadatta, relaxing with his entourage.