Aluthepola Vihara, Buddhist temple in Minuwangoda, Sri Lanka

Aluthepola Vihara, also called Aluthepola Ganekanda Raja Maha Vihara, is an old Buddhist temple in Minuwangoda, Gampaha District. Its name appears in Sinhala as අළුතෑපොල විහාරය. Within the temple grounds stands an old surveyor's post belonging to the Department of Archaeology.

The site holds a connection to an ancient ruler who sought shelter here during a period when foreign powers controlled the main kingdom. This link connects the temple to a pivotal era in early Sri Lankan history.

The name Raja Maha Vihara, "Great Royal Temple", marks a monastery that received donations from Sinhalese kings. Regional folklore holds that King Valagamba hid in the area while five Dravidian rulers controlled Anuradhapura, a story local devotees still recount.

The temple lies in the Divulapitiya area of Gampaha District, near Minuwangoda. Look on the temple grounds for the old surveyor's post belonging to the Department of Archaeology, a marker that helps identify the protected site. The temple is a functioning place of worship, so dress modestly and remove shoes before sacred areas.

The temple grounds hold an old surveyor's post belonging to the Department of Archaeology, a marker visitors often walk past without noticing. The site was declared an archaeological site by government gazette on 22 November 2002, under gazette number 1264.