Raja maha viharaya ruins dilapidated

A A L Dias Matale district group corr.

The valuable ruins of the historical Evariyapathaha Raja Maha Vihara of Kandapalla Korale in Matale District are exposed to undesirable elements without proper conservation.

This historical Raja Maha Vihara has a long history upto king Walagambahu’s period. According to the prevailing legends this temple was constructed in that time.

At present the cave shrine room is decaying, but the Archaeological Department has not paid its attention to conserve this historical place so far.

The statues in this shrine room are completely damaged while the murals are also fading and paintings are cracking down, ant hills are too visible inside the place. The erudite in the area said that in accordance with the existing ruins this place belonged to the Kandyan period. However if the Archaeological Department is able to carry out a research the valuable historical facts can be found from this place, they added.

The authorities have been requested to look into this matters.