Buddama Raja Maha Vihara
Buddama Raja Maha Vihara is a historic Cave temple in Buddama village, Monaragala district, Sri Lanka. Buddama is a rural village lying off Siyambalanduwa town and is known as one of the earliest settlements in the country. Currently the temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka.
History
According to the facts from great chronicle Mahawamsa and the inscriptions found in the Vihara premises, Buddama temple was built in the third century BC. It has also been recorded in Uva Viharawamsa, a chronicle about important Buddhist centers in the Uva province, which states that Buddama was worshipped by early Buddhists. Before the advent of Buddhism to the country during the Anuradhapura period, the temple is said to have been a vocational training center for local craft men before it became a Buddhist monastery.The temple has received royal patronage by kings from time to time, as mentioned in the inscriptions found in Vihara premises and other outside references. According to the Vihara inscriptions, southern regional king Udaya I donated villages to the temple during his reign and King Parakramabahu I created administrative divisions centering the Buddama Temple. Renovations to the temple were carried out by Sri Wickrama Rajasingha in Kandyan period.