Pusulpitiya Raja Maha Vihara, Buddhist temple in Nuwara Eliya District, Sri Lanka.
Pusulpitiya Raja Maha Vihara is a Buddhist temple featuring multiple shrine rooms, ancient stone pillars, and traditional architecture arranged across different levels of terrain. The complex sits near the Kotmale Oya river, with buildings that follow the natural slope of the hillside.
The temple received one of only a handful of sacred Bo tree saplings from the main Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura in ancient times, marking its importance. This honor connected it to the most revered Buddhist site in the region and shaped its standing within the faith community.
The shrine rooms display paintings showing Buddhist stories and spiritual teachings that visitors can view as they walk through. These artworks, along with brass items on display, reflect the devotional practices that shape the place.
The temple is open daily and requires visitors to remove their shoes before entering the shrine rooms while wearing clothing that covers shoulders and knees. Be prepared for uneven ground and steps as the buildings are set across different levels of the hillside.
The temple served as a hiding place for the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha during periods of political turmoil in Sri Lanka, keeping one of Buddhism's most sacred objects safe. This concealed role reveals how remote temples protected treasured items when the country faced unrest.
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