Pilikuththuwa Raja Maha Vihara
ancient Cave temple
Pilikuththuwa Raja Maha Vihara (Sinhalaː පිළිකුත්තුව රජ මහා විහාරය ) is an ancient Cave temple situated in Pilikuththuwa, Sri Lanka. It is located on the Gampaha - Wathurugama road approximately 3.8 km (2.4 mi) away from the Miriswatta junction and 1.6 km (0.99 mi) from the ancient Buddhist temple, Maligatenna Raja Maha Vihara. The temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka.
History
From the archaeological evidence, it is believed that this area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Caves with drip ledges prove that the temple may have been used during the 2-3 century BC by the Sangha as their abodes. According to the legends connected with this temple, king Valagamba (89-77 BC) used to stay in this historical place from time to time during the invasion from South India.
Uruwala, Maligatenna, Warana, Miriswatta and Koskandawala cave temples, situated in the vicinity of the Pilikuththuwa temple are said to have been formed from one major temple complex in the early Anuradhapura period.
The temple
The Pilikuththuwa temple is considered one of the Buddhist temples in the country with the highest number of drip-ledged rock caves. It is said that this temple has 99 rock caves with drip ledges, spreading about 200 acres of total area. As of today, 78 caves have been identified.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Pilikuththuwa Raja Maha Vihara” as ancient Cave temple. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as ancient Cave temple. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q19716317. VIAF identifies the subject as 152657785. The Library of Congress control number is n2005212319. Authority coordinates are 7.064, 80.050. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
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- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Pilikuththuwa Raja Maha Vihara” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.