You are here: Home / Destinations / LANKATHILAKA VIHARAYA - SRI LANKA
Lankathilaka Viharaya,situated in Pilimathalawa area near Kandy was constructed in the 14th century AD by King Buvanekabahu the 4th. It was revived later by Vijayabahu IV.
Lankathilaka Viharaya, Kandy was made in the conventional Sinhalese way.
Lankathilaka Viharaya, Kandy is a dramatic building made out of clay brick. At one time it was a five-storied building. It is decorated with flowers, creepers, birds, animals and statues of gods. At the entrance of the building there are two huge pillars. Presently the pillars have broken down and reduced to a height of 58 ft. Initially, the height of these pillars was almost twice the existing one.
In the shrine rooms of the Lankathilaka Viharaya, Kandy there is an intricate designing of stonework and also of wood for the four gods who are guarding the building. The outer walls of temple are adorned with sculpture which is very delicate in nature. The sculpture portrays diverse buildings of the Polonnaruwa period. There is a pillared
"mandapaya" rite in front of the structure. It consists of 40 festooned pillars made purely out of stone. The passage of the temple which is similar to the passage of a cathedral, faces a statue of a standing Buddha. The statue of the standing Buddha is presently headless. Previously it was 41 ft. in height.
The Buddha statue plus 24 previous Buddha statues guarded by the Makara thorana should be worshipped peacefully. But the moonstone, two balustrades, Makara thorana made on the way to the Buddha image house is so unique. Whereas the temple is built on a rocky outcrop a decorous atmosphere is offered to the devotees and the tourists. Murals, paintings, frescoes and sculptures adorned
with vivid colors can be explored all day long. At the same time God Vishnu, ganapathi, saman, Vibishana and Kumara bandara can be worshipped in the Lankathilaka viharaya. God Kumara bandara is believed to be the assigned caretaker of the viharaya.
Local devotees visit the viharaya and worship the dagoba, sacred bo tree and the Buddha sri pathula (a large stone image of the lord Buddha’s footprint). The Lankatilake rock inscription cut into the rock proclaims the initiators of the temple and the support and conveniences provided by the kings.
Lankathilaka Viharaya, Kandy has an exclusive architectural design. It is very much different from the other buildings of its era.
 "We had a great time on last 10 days in on our honeymoon in beautiful Sri Lanka. Thank you very much for the stories, the explanations, driving, tips, care and always with a smile. Big thanks for you Cyril. We had an amazing honeymoon in this beautiful island! and you are the best guide and friend that we could have here!!! We will sure tell our friends and family about the trip and you!!! We will stay in touch and may be one day meet you again. Oded & Carol Israel 10 Oct 2014" Naim & Coral Fisher from Israel
 "Cyril was an excellent guide and gave us a very good insight into the history and cultures of Sri Lanka. He was always polite, helpful and prompt. His driving was always calm and controlled - unlike some of the other vehicles we saw!!! We would recommend him to others traveling to Sri Lanka. WH - UK - January 2011" Wilson Harland
 "We had an excellent and memorable trip and all credits to Cyril. In-depth knowledge about the places, roads and history and culture. From the airport assistance - Food, accommodation provided and the vehicle was excellent. Very matured and patient, We being on safe hands. Thanks for making it a memorable experience for all of us. " Aubry De Souza and group from Dubai
 "Cyril Tours is a very good agency. Because we did use it from 01st of March to 14 March 2013. From the start till end of our emails, he has (Mr.Cyril) given all required details. Also he send us very detailed itinerary with pictures. Actually no need guide after go through it.Cyril Tours is not a big agency. He was a guide in Sri Lanka more than 26 years. Many clients recommend him to their friends and to relatives who want to visit Sri Lanka.They asked from him to travel, that is why he be..." John and Mary from Canada
 "Dear Cyril, We just got back to Singapore today...I am will be back to work tomorrow.. :) Sad but true ha ha……. We were very lucky to have you as our guide. I don’t think there will be anyone else who could have done an excellent job that you have done. We will spread the word around and will surely sell your services...do keep in touch so we can work something out. Thanks for the photos they are great Will visit your website soon and put in some good words for you.. Ti..." Shuhanth Haridas from Singapore
 "We had a exellent and memorable trip. That all credit to you Cyril.Indepth knowledge about the place, roads, Culture and history. Very matuared and patient. We were in very safe hands on all the time. Thanks a lot, mainly it's memorable expeirience for all of us. We always recomond CYRIL TOURS to our friends and relatives in Dubai and in India." Awdhesh Kumar and gruop
 "(10 days). Before the trip I did a lot of research here on the site and other sites on the tour options and after checking in we decided to go with a guide attached. Choice in was not easy and I started Travels "correspondence with more than ten guides to staying with the" chosen ". No doubt it was an excellent choice! Before Asbury on our guide, I wanted to note that after the visit, I understand the importance of taking guide (driver) suite. Roads and driving in Sri Lanka ..." Corey
 "We had a trip planned with Cyril just when international travel closed down due to Covid. Cyril was great in planning a trip with me that had a great deal of flexibility and tailored to visit the places we wanted to seeUnfortunately we were unable to take the trip. Cyril's response to that was great, he dealt with everything for us in terms of cancellationsHe has kept in touch with us since then and has already contacted me with a revised plan for our trip to Sri Lanka. Which we will book with h..." Brian O: Keefe - Perth - Australia
 "Thank you Cyril for making our Christmas holiday fun so smoothly and easy. We loved Sri Lanka and look forward to retuning again. Cyril, your knowledge and service was outstanding and it was so refreshing to have such a very highlevel of service. We will be sure to recomond your service and travel agency to our friends. Please feel free to use us as a reference, you can use my email or phone number to clients." Bruce Larson & family from USA
 "Dear Cyril, Sincerest apologies for this delayed email --- reason being that I had been extremely busy with work & travel, since returning from Sri Lanka and just got a breather now, to download our photos and catch up with private matters. Hope this email finds you & family, in the best of health & spirits. Your granddaughter must be keeping you busy and giving you & Mrs. Baddegama immense joy. At this end, we are doing fine. Nikhita is back at school, now in Grade 7 and havi..." Pradeep Kumar Menon - Singapore