Do you know there is a glorious Buddhist temple totally submerged in a reservoir in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka? This ancient Buddhist temple call as Kadadora Viharaya or Sri Priyabimbaramaya in Kotmale. Once a magnificent temple, later it was abandoned and ruined after the construction of Kotmale Dam in 1979 by the Mahaweli Development program.
Kadadora Viharaya is a long-lost temple that has gone underwater for decades. The appearance of the temple is very rare. It remained underwater for 30 years until it reappears in 2009, when a severe drought hit the area. It is kind of a mystery how this temple is well protected up to this level for such a long time.
Usually, people can witness it only during the dry months. When the water level of Kotmale reservoir goes down, it gives the opportunity to see the ruins of the temple. Here we will bring you all the details about the hidden splendor of Kadadora Viharaya in Kotmale.
How to reach Kadadora Viharaya
This temple locates in Kadadora village in Kotmale. If you are visiting the hill country, this temple is a perfect place for an awesome day trip from Kandy city. The distance from Kandy to Kotmale is 37 km and it needs only 1-hour drive to reach there.
If you are traveling from Colombo, you need to travel 140 km passing Kegalle, Mawanella, Peradeniya, Gamploa to Ulapane. From Ulapane, take the Pussellawa road for 10 km and walk a few meters into the Kotmale Reservoir.
History of Kadadora Viharaya
Kadadora Viharaya has a long history dating back to the time of Great King Dutugemunu. Prince Gemunu fled from Ruhunu Rata to Malaya Rata through the Kadadora entrance. Kotmale in the central highlands was called as Malaya Rata in ancient times. There used to be 4 entrances to enter Kotmale, including Galdora, Watadora, Niyangandora, and Kadadora. Kadadora is the only entrance that can be seen today.
During the 1900s, Sinhalese villagers of Kadodara village built this temple on the banks of the Kotmale Reservoir. The Construction of the statue of Lord Buddha was started in 1897 and it was opened in 1905 while it has been rebuilt in 1937. Thus, this temple is a significant historic site in the Kotmale area. There were many worshippers during the prosperous period. Definitely, nobody ever dreamed that this gorgeous temple would one day be hidden under the water.
Kotmale Reservoir
In 1977, the Mahaweli River development program was started by damming five major reservoirs. The Kotmale project was one of the five major projects proposed under this program. The construction of Kotmale Dam gave life to the new reservoir called Kotmale Reservoir. Spread across a land area of 2,270 ha, the Kotmale reservoir is nestled between Thispane and the Kadadora hills. It spreads through both Kandy and Nuwara Eliya Districts.
The Kotmale dam site was located at the historic village of Kadadora at an elevation of 2,100 feet above sea level. It gets water from Kotmale Oya, which is the main tributary of the Mahaweli River. The construction of the picturesque Kotmale reservoir was completed in November 1984.
Creating this dam led to submerge 57 villages and 54 religious places underwater in the Kotmale Valley. However, many of these temple ruins no longer exist. Miraculously, Kadadora Viharaya is still remaining, even though fully submerged in the water.
Best time to visit the temple
The temple stays hidden underwater for the most part of the year. It partially resurfaces during the dry period from March to April. Thus, the view of this temple depends on the climate. When it rains temple isn’t visible and when the rains are stopped for a prolonged time, it becomes visible. Thereby, the temple is called as ‘hiding temple’.
If you want to get the best view of the temple, you need to wait for a severe drought. Once a few years, this kind of drought season exposes the reservoir bed and the ruins. These ancient ruins including the statue of Lord Buddha and other sculptures are a marvelous scenery that someone can get once in a lifetime experience.
The diminishing water levels of the reservoir make the temple visible in all its ruined glory. When this rare opportunity to witness the temple comes, both locals and tourists flock there. Hundreds of locals visit to offer flowers and obtain blessings when the temple is visible. Villagers gather around the remains of the Buddha statue, offer flowers, and pray for blessings from Lord Buddha.
View of the temple in the evening
Especially, this temple makes an ethereal scenery in the evening. When the surroundings become dark, villagers light oil lamps and place them on the Buddha statue. The temple illuminated with oil lamps makes this place really beautiful and different. Without a doubt, getting a glimpse of this majestic ancient temple during the evening is a wonderful experience.
Other ruins of the temple
There is an elegant dragon pandal at the entrance of the temple. Without a doubt, the intricately sculptured statues of deities in this pandal are one the most prominent features of Kadadora Viharaya. This spectacular dragon pandal adds amazing beauty to the ancient ruins of the temple.
The intricate designs on this pandal are well-preserved up to date. These ruins can be spotted around the Buddha statue.
Apart from the statue of Buddha and the dragon pandal, there are several other sculptures, a Bodigaraya (The Bo tree protecting wall), and a Puujasanaya (flat-topped structure used for offering flowers) can be seen today.
When the temple resurfaces, it becomes a highly famous attraction among the locals. No wonder this temple has become a big attraction, with large groups flocking to the reservoir bed. These visitors pay homage to the spectacular Buddha statues of the Kadadora Viharaya.
Kotmale Maha Seya
Located on the right bank of the Kotmale dam at Kadadora, Kotmale Maha Seya is a wonderful stupa in Sri Lanka. Rising to a height of 247 feet from the ground and having a 238 feet diameter, it seconds only to Ruwanweli Seya in Anuradhapura in height. Painted with pure white, this magnificent stupa is visible even from a far distance.
This wonderful stupa aims to compensate for the loss of many religious shrines that were submerged when creating the Kotmale reservoir. This is a massive bubble-shaped Stupa that faces the reservoir. Kotmale Maha Seya stands as a great monument dedicated to the religious aspirations of the people of Kotmale who lost their lands forever due to this project.
To sum up, Kadadora Viharaya in Kotmale is a prominent historical place that you should visit during your cultural tour of Sri Lanka. It suits best for tourists who particularly pursue off-the-beaten-track sites. Most importantly, you need to remember this temple isn’t a year-round destination. It can be viewed only when the water level goes down, during the dry season in March to April, Surely, capturing the picturesque view of this ancient hidden temple is a once-in-a-lifetime experience you can get in Sri Lanka.
Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, Unsplash, Facebook, and Twitter. All copyrights are reserved by the original authors.
