A 2nd-century BCE cave temple near Ridigama, named for the silver ore discovered here, with fine Kandyan murals and Dutch-tile decoration.

Overview

Ridi Viharaya, the Silver Temple, is a serene rock-and-cave monastery set among boulders near the village of Ridigama, about 20 km east of Kurunegala. Its shrine rooms shelter a reclining Buddha, richly painted Kandyan-period murals and an unusual altar faced with blue-and-white Delft tiles depicting Biblical scenes, gifted in the colonial era. Ancient Brahmi inscriptions in the surrounding caves record the antiquity of the site.

History

Tradition holds that silver ore was discovered here in the 2nd century BCE and used by King Dutugemunu to help fund the great Ruwanwelisaya stupa at Anuradhapura, and the king built the temple in gratitude. The complex was later patronised and embellished by the Kandyan kings, whose artists added the murals and decorative work that survive today.