Cultural Exploration of Sri Lanka | Gatabaru Temple

"ගැටබරු කන්දේ මුදුනෙදි බැඳුනු පෙම් හිත
දෙවිවරු වැන්දේ පුදකොට පිපුනු මල් මත
රජ්ජුරු බන්ඩාර දෙවියනේ ඇගේ අත
ලබා ගන්න වරම් දෙන්න යොමා සවනත"

Sri Lanka is not only blessed with an amazing landscape and lush greenery. But 2500+ proud history has given us a culture that can be highly reminded of. We are a multicultural and multi-national country, mainly evolving around Buddhism and the Sinhala environment. But you can always see a Hindu/ other religious touch even in a Buddhist Temple.

The Gatabaru Temple is the abovementioned type of sacred Buddhist temple that has both historical and cultural significance. So, let's walk through it.

///legislators.marketplace.voyeurism

These days Gatabaru Perahara/ parade is taking place and as my wife is near the area I got the chance to watch it for the first time. So, before sharing about the perahara I wanted to lay the groundwork and talk about the temple first.

The Gatabaruwa Raja Maha Vihara is located on Gatabaru Hill, on the Akuressa – Deniyaya Road near Kotapola town, almost at the border of Matar District. From the main road, you can see the entrance as shown in the below image and there is around 2km travel in a hilly road, which can be done from a vehicle as well.

The entrance

It's 1500 ft above sea level and with the Sinharaja rain forest nearby, the temple has naturally received the tranquil and charming surroundings. The journey to the temple itself is a treat to the eyes with breathtaking views, and to have a peaceful vibe. Apart from the basic components of a temple, we can see a 30ft natural rock cave here, with a statue of Lord Buddha. Along with that, there are Devalas for God Ragguru Bandara, God Vishnu, and God Kataragama which provide the Hindu culture to the place.

When comes to the historical and significant side. To be honest, more than the temple Gatabaru devalas/ shrines are more popular in the area.

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God Rajjuru Bandara, is considered the protector of this area and the temple and devala are dedicated to him. It's a normal thing for the people to come and seek the blessings from God Rajjuru Bandara, before any auspicious activity or new thing.

According to the stories, it's said that he is like the dark side of God Kataragama. It's a belief that he gives punishment for any bad behavior. So, commoners tend to seek help in cases of injustice. According to the resource it's believed that King Walagamba, a prominent ruler in the Sri Lankan Anuradhapura kingdom hid in this area, with the enemy attacks, and then built the temple.

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So, it can be considered another iconic place in Sri Lanka, devotees come from all around the island here. Every year in September a grand perahara is organized by the temple along with the surrounding villagers. So, let's read about that in the next episode and if you ever come across the area, I highly invite you to visit the place!

Until the next time! Enjoy!

Thank you.
Best Regards!