Delgamuwa Raja Maha Vihara

The written history of Delgamuwa Vihara goes back to the time period of Sitawaka kingdom. During the past this temple was known as Saparagamu Vihara and Labujagama Viharaya as well.^[3]

With the arrival of the Portuguese in 1505 and the death of the King Bhuwanakabahu VII of Kotte Kingdom, a political turmoil was caused in the country. This was intensified with the conversion to Catholicism by King Don Juan Dharmapala. This incidence led the then Diyawadana Nilame Hiripitiye Divana Rala, who was the custodian of the tooth relic, to move the relic from Kotte Kingdom to King Mayadunne of Sitawaka (now Avissawella) for safe keeping in 1549.^[4] With the guidance of king Mayadunne the tooth relic was brought to Delgamuwa Vihara for further safekeeping, and kept it in a Kurahan (Eleusine coracana) grinding stone at the Vihara premises.^[5]

In 1592 Konappu Bandara, who conquered the throne of Kandy again, changed his name as Wimaladharmasuriya I and reclaimed the tooth relic from Delgamuwa vihara in Ratnapura to Kandy.^[6] He managed to build a separate two-storied palace to enshrine the tooth relic within the palace complex.^[7]

A few years after the removal of tooth relic, the temple was robbed and demolished by the Portuguese who constructed a fort there later.^[1][4]

• List of Archaeological Protected Monuments in Ratnapura District