Galtemmandiya Rajamaha Viharaya – Okkampitiya
I have a small habit of sharing religious places. I don't know whether it's because there are many destinations around me, or due to my religious faith. Anyway, during the last Wesak season, I could visit the Galtammandiya temple with my wife.
It's not a highly famous one, but a hidden gem inside the village. It has served an amazing job for the community for centuries.
The Location
It's located in a small rural village called Galtammandiya, Okkampitiya Grama Niladhari Division, in the Monaragala District, Uva Province of Sri Lanka. From Buttala town, take the Okkampitiya road for around 10 km, and you will reach a junction to turn left from the main road. As in the left image below, there will be a big notice board; from there, we have to travel 2km on a rather less comfortable road. Most part of it is gravelly.
Turn from here
The entry road
This area is home to significant historical Buddhist temples like Maligawila Temple , and Dematamal Viharaya . And the Galtemmandiya temple is located between these two. So, normally, people visit this as well.
The neighbourhood is a pure definition of a village. Along the way, you can see the jungles, paddy fields, mountain ranges, and lush greenery. Anyway, as this is in the dry zone, I recommend visiting in the morning or afternoon.
The Entrance
The temple is located on both sides of the road. There is a huge entrance to the main one. It has the main components of a Temple: a stupa (dagoba), a Bo Tree, and a statue of the Buddha. On the other side, there is the living house of the monks, a building to hold sermons and other activities, and a library as well.
I couldn't find many historical details about the place, but a villager said it was constructed during the Anuradhapura era, around a thousand years ago. The name said that it's made of stones, and has a lot of stone pillars. But with time, we now have a renovated version of the temple.
The Stupa
The Bodih tree
The Stupa is in the center of the temple. It's not very big; around 15m high with the crystal. It's protected by a concrete guard wall. There are four small stupas around it, with small openings to offer flowers. The whole structure has been painted with white colour, which is the common practice in every temple.
In one corner, there is the bodhi tree. You can feel the breeze from the other side paddy fields, and the tree provide shelter and calmness to us.
We offered flowers to both the locations, lit oil lamps and incense sticks, and worshipped for a short time. On one side, there are benches, so we can rest.
A large bell
The building for sermons
Normally, in a temple, there is a huge bell to ring. It's placed in a tower, and in Sinhala, we call it the "Ghantaraya." Normally, we ring it in a special festival or an emergency.
On the other side of the road, there's this building. Especially in Poya days, the sermons are held here, and devotees stay there.
And on Sunday, there are Dhamma schools for children, and the classes are held in this building too.
The tomb of a former head priest
On one corner, we saw an ancient Tomb. The chief Thero. Sumanojothi lives there after he died in 1960. It's a nice design, but it would be nice if they could clean it a bit.
Anyway, after staying for around an hour and engaging in religious activities, we left the place. It was a good experience, and a wonderful place for the neighbourhood for their spiritual journey.
| The Place | Galtemmandiya Rajamaha Viharaya - Okkampitiya, Sri Lanka |
|---|---|
| Type of place | Temple |
| Opening days and hours | every day from 05.30 a.m. to 07.30 p.m |
| Location | on Google Maps, on Steem Atlas |
| Contact Number | +9455-3553977 |
| Website/ Social Media | No official ones |
| Time of Visit | 13th of May, 2025 |
Until the next time! Enjoy!
Thank you.
Best Regards!
খুবই সুন্দর একটি টেম্পল আমাদের মাঝে উপস্থাপন করেছেন, প্রাকৃতিক পরিবেশে এরকম একটা টেম্পলে সময় কাটানো সুন্দরতম একটি ব্যাপার।