According to the Mahawamsa, the Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka, the story of Rideevihara begins during the reign of King Dutugemunu (161 BC – 137 BC). Since the construction of the Mahathupa proved to be a tremendous endeavour that bore stupendous cost for its completion, the king was deeply obsessed by this and wondered how such disbursements could be raised in order to make this noble dream a ground reality.
In response to his aspiration, an enormous quantity of silver was miraculously discovered in the Ambatthakorale Cave where Rideevihara is presently located.
At that time, Rideevihara, which was only 55 miles away from the south of Anuradhapura, lay on one of the main routes from the Rajarata to the Malayarata, from the dry zone to the hill country. As mentioned in the Mahavamsa, a merchant from the city taking many wagons with him in order to bring ginger and so forth from Malaya had set out for Malaya. Not far from the cave, he brought the wagons to a halt and since he needed wood for whips, he climbed up the mountain. As he sighted there a branch of a jackfruit tree bearing one single fruit as large as a water pitcher and dragged it down by the weight of the fruit, he cut the fruit thinking “I will give the first produce as alms.”
Almost immediately several Arahants appeared to whom the merchant offered the fruit as alms. Among the Arahants, Venerable Indagupta Thera opened a path to the mouth of the cavern and requested that merchant follow it. On entering the cave, the merchant found that it was full of silver and he broke a lump off with his axe. Leaving his wagons behind, he hastened to Anuradhapura to show the king what he had found. The vein of silver turned out to be a very rich one and provided King Dutugemunu with much wealth. According to the historical evidence, King Dutugemunu sent one of his ministers together with his chief artisan Visvakarma Patiraja and 300 stone masons and 700 artisans giving him three loads of gold and ordered them to get a suitable Vihara constructed on the spot.
Work began on the full moon day of Duruthu and was completed within three months and 16 days. The king was pleased. He visited the temple to participate in its dedication to the Sangha. At this ceremony, the monastery was donated with all the land around in the precincts extending for one and three-quarter miles.
The Silver Temple, locally known as Rideevihara, inherits historic evidence for more than 2000 years. It is firmly situated in the village of Rideegama in Kurunegala District, in the North Western Province. This heritage which belongs tot he period of Anuradhapura has undergone several renovations during the Kandyan period. The Silver Temple is reckoned to be a storehouse of Kandyan art.
Pictures by Prasanna Senaratne
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