| Building Name: | Mulkirigala Raja Maha Vihara |
| Native Name: | මුල්කිරිගල රජ මහා විහාරය |
| Map Type: | Sri Lanka |
| Location: | Mulkirigala, Sri Lanka |
| Coordinates: | 6.123°N 80.7364°W |
| Province: | Southern Province |
| District: | Hambantota |
| Heritage Designation: | Archaeological protected monument[1] (8 April 1988) |
| Architecture: | yes |
| Architecture Type: | Buddhist Temple |
| Architecture Style: | Cave temple |
| Founded By: | King Saddhatissa |
Mulkirigala Raja Maha Vihara (also known as Mulgirigala Raja Maha Vihara) (Sinhala; Sinhalese: මුල්කිරිගල රජමහා විහාරය) is an ancient Buddhist temple in Mulkirigala, Sri Lanka. It has been built on a 205m (673feet) high natural rock, surrounded with another four rocks known as Benagala, Kondagala, Bisogala and Seelawathiegala. The temple site is located about 2km (01miles) from the Mulkirigala junction and can be reached from either Dikwella or Tangalle towns. The temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka. The designation was declared on 8 April 1988 under the government Gazette number 501.[2]
Except its most common name Mulkirigala, the temple is also referred to as Mulgirigala, Muvathitigala, Muhudungiri and Dakkhina Vihara. As the temple has been constructed on a massive natural rock similar to Sigiriya, the site is known as Punchi Seegiriya (Little Sigiriya) by the locals.
As mentioned in the Bodhi Vamsa chronicle, one of the temples known as Giriba Viharaya is where one of the Bo saplings out of 32 saplings germinated from Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is planted, which was currently identified as Mulkirigala temple. During the Polonnaruwa period this temple was known as Samuddagiri Viharaya, according to the Kamburupitiya Wanaratna Thero, who had read the stone inscription of the pond.
In the 18th century the Mulkirigala rock was called as Adam's Berg by the Dutch. It is believed that Europeans confused Mulkirigala with the Sri Pada (Adam's Peak) with the assumption that tombs of Adam and Eve were located here.[3]
According to the ancient chronicle Mahavamsa, the Mulkirigala Vihara was constructed by King Saddhatissa in the third century.[4] After that the temple received royal patronage by numerous successive kings. During the 461-479 AD time period a Stupa was added to the temple by King Datusena and it was further developed by King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe (1747-1782).[5]
This place was visited by Fa-Hien (Soo-Ho-To). He wrote "There is in it the place where Sakra, Ruler of Devas, in a former age, tried the Bodhisattva, by producing a hawk (in pursuit of a) dove, when (the Bodhisattva) cut off a piece of his own flesh, and (with it) ransomed the dove. After Buddha had attained to perfect wisdom, and in traveling about with his disciples (arrived at this spot), he informed them that this was the place where he ransomed the dove with a piece of his own flesh. In this way the people of the country became aware of the fact, and on the spot reared a tope, adorned with layers of gold and silver plates."
James Cordiner, a Chaplain attached to the British Military Garrison in Colombo between 1797 and 1804, described the temple in detail as an extensive complex of intricately painted caverns and temple buildings.[6]
The site consists of seven viharas and has been constructed within five compounds known as Siyambalamaluwa, lower vihara compound, Bomaluwa, Rajamaha vihara compound, and upper Vihara compound.[7]
A large collection of paintings and sculptures belonging to the Kandyan Era can be seen in the caves and image houses in the Vihara premises. Most paintings depict the episodes from the life of the Gautama Buddha and Jataka stories, such as Vessantara, Telapatta and Shivi.