The Theravada Buddhist Temple known as a Rammanda Pokuna Maha Viharaya is situated in a historical area known as Sath Koralaya, which in fact an amalgamated area of seven regions (07) is known as Hathpattu. The Hiriyala Hathpattu Region, a one of the seven areas, is located alongside the Deduru Oya which demarcated the boundaries of historical provincial Kingdoms Raja Rata and Maya Rata. It is said that the name “Hiriyala” emanated from the abundant availability of limestone’s or “Hiriyal” in this area. The available historical evidence such as epigraphs, tanks, old temples and devalas prove that “Hiriyala” had been habited from the olden days. Folk traditions further elaborate historical relationship with Kuveni to this area while it is said King Walagamba was also hiding in Hiriyala area. An epigraph depicting the memorandum understanding between the King Gajaba and King Parakkramabahu is also found in this area in addition to the ruins of the palace of Queen Kalyanawathie. Even today the main railway line from Colombo to Jaffna and main road way from Kurunegala to Trincomalee are also running across Hiriyala. The Gokarella Town which is the closest town to our temple is located along the main road from Kurunegala to Dambulla on the 20th milepost. Kekirihenpitiya village is located above 3km to the left of the Gokarella town. Kekirihenpitiya is a village surrounded by mountains and in one of the mountain top a beautiful rocky plain could be found. On the top of the rocky plain a miraculous view could be seen. On the West most famous Dolukanda mountain is visible while from the East the Matale mountain range can be seen. The Rammanda Pokuna Buddhist Temple is located in a cave situated under the rocky plain.
The folklore suggested that this temple was built by a regional leader known as Minister Tissa who had been on a fact finding mission for the King of up country Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe who ruled Kandy between 1749-1780. When Minister Tissa was on this mission he came across this cave and decided to build a temple (a Tampita Vihara). It is said that as the outset the temple was built on pillars. In fact it is stated that in 1935 Pudukkulame Dhammapala Nayaka Thero had seen the pillar temple in a dilapidated condition. This cave temple consists of Standing Statue and Samadhi Statue of the Lord Buddha. The statues of Arahath Sariyuth, Mugalan also had been erected. The wall surrounding Shrine Room and the ceiling are decorated with beautiful paintings depicting the Buddha Charitha. This Shrine Room is covered with an external Viharage and the walls of which are fully decorated with paintings of Bodhisathva performing Dasaparamitha. The external side of the wall of the Viharage is decorated with artworks displaying the blessings given by “Suvisi Buddhas” to the “Gauthama Bodhisathva”. Behind the Viharage is the cave which is decorated with the paintings of the arrival of “Arahath Mahinda Maha Thero” who brought the Buddha Dhamma and the Bo Tree sampling by “Arahath Sangamiththa Maha Therani”. The Story pertaining to the standing statue of the Lord Buddha located in the temple is also an interesting one. During the Anuradhapura Era a statue and five supporting statues made of stones have been brought into the historical Rideeviharaya from India. One of such supporting statue was placed at a prosperous temple called Manikpaya located at head of the Kimbulwana oya. At present only the ruins of this temple can be seen. When the Manikpaya temple was destroyed, the people in Thihawa Area organized a temple in Eligala where the said supporting statue was transferred. Even though Eligala temple was also destroyed as time went by the statue said to have been there without any damage. At a later stage the members of the Dayakasabawa in Kekirihenpitiya temple decided to bring the statue to their temple and were trying to transfer same. Unfortunately, however, people in the Thihava area was vehemently objected to the removal of the statue. Thus both parties were trying taking the statue to their side. In this struggle the statue was broken into two and the head of the statue was taken by Gassandalupotha Dayakasabhava and the rest of the body was taken by Kekirihenpitiya Dayakasabhva. It is that statue without the head is the one that have been brought in to Kekirihenpitiya temple. At the footside of the rock towards to the Northeast of the temple two attractive ponds carved out stone can be seen.
It appears that these two are connected inside. The name of the temple is also said to have been derived on these two ponds as per the folk stories. Once these ponds were to be cleaned by the removal of the sludge those sludge were shining like gold dust and the villages who were around having seen this unimaginable incident thought it is miracle and decided to name the temple as Rammanda Pokuna, meaning ponds of golden sludge. That is how the Kekirihenpitiya ancient temple was known as Rammanda Pokuna Maha Viharaya. There is yet another viharage which housed the wholly footprint of Lord Buddha. Even within this temple room, painting of Buddha’s life, done during the Kandy era can be seen. In terms of ancient Palmyra leaf the Buddha’s wholly footprint has been marked in this place only after visiting wholly mountain of Sri Pada. This is the only Buddha’s footprint found in Hiriyala area. The written history of the temple can be seen only from 1815 in terms of Palmyra leaf available in the temple. The Palmyra leaf have been written on the full moon poya day on September 1815 in terms of which the chief priest of the temple at that time was Ussawe Kondagngna Maha Thero. By 1837, the said maha thero has reconstructed main viharamandiraya, the sthupa, the wall surrounding the wholly Bo Tree, Dharmashala and the viharage house with wholly foot print of Lord Buddha. Additionally, a number of student bhikku’s were ordained of whom Devurammulle Sunanda Thero and Aragama Sonuththara Thero were the main disciples. The temple have been transferred in the name of these two thero’s by a deed which had been signed by Lenava Buddharakkitha Thero, Lenava Thero, Aragama Dhammajothi Thero, Levugolle Vipassi Thero, Udathammita Sunanda Thero and Thihava Lokukorala, Nindapelle Mohottala Hami, Mudiyanselea Gedara Korala, Gokarella Bannaka Ralalage Gedara Ukkurala. The deed has been prepared by a person known as Thawalle Punchi Rala. This clearly illustrated the importance and value attached to the temple even at that time. After the demise of the Devurammulle Sunanda Thero his student Thalahinne Ratanapala Thero had been given the responsibility to take care of the temple.
It appears that there was no student bhikkhu under the Devurammulle Sunanda Thero. Thus, in 1860 the temple was handed over to Pethangalle Siddhartha Thero, who is the student Bhikku of Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thero, the incumbent priest of the historical Rideeviharaya. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Maha Thero was in fact felicitated as the deputy Chief Priest and subsequently chief priest of the Malwathu Maha Viharaya. Pethangalle Siddhartha Thero was also appointed member of the “Vinshath Vargika Karaka Sanga Sabha” the controlling body of Malwathu Maha Viharaya. During this period Pethangalle Sri Siddhartha Thero while holding the chief incumbent ship of the Sarasiya Pattuwe Kulugammana Rajamaha Viharaya, built the new Pethngalla temple belonging to Malwathu Mahaviharaya. Accordingly, Gokarella Kekirihenpitiya Rammanda Pokuna Viharaya became a temple belongs to historical Rideeviharaya Bhikku generation and continued to be so up to date. Aragama Sunanda Thero, who was the leading student of Pethangalle Sri Siddhartha Thero, was born in 1870 and was ordained as a Buddhist priest in 1885 at the Kekirihenpitiya Rammanda Pokuna Viharaya, who entered the higher ordaine in 1890, his leading Bhikku student was Nugaliyadde Sobhitha Thero. Under the duty ship of these two maha thero’s there were number of bhikku’s properly ordained Pudukkulame Sri Siddhartha Dhammapala Nayaka thero, Yatawatte Thero, Pemananda Thero, Kithuldora Dhammarathana Thero, Watareka Pemaratana Thero are the well-known disciples While Nugaliyadde Sobhitha Thero was the chief incumbent of the Kekirihenpitiya Rammanda Pokuna Viharaya due, to difficulties created among the dayaka’s in 1914 a new temple was to be built in an area called Pahalathihava Gassandalupotha. After the demise of Nugaliyadde Sobhitha Thero, Pudukkulame Sri Siddhartha Dhammapala Nayaka thero who was the senior monk student was appointed the chief incumbent, who while functioning as the chief priest of Gassandalupotha Viharaya looked after Kekirihenpitiya Rammanda Pokuna Viharaya as well. He was appointed the most venerable sanganayaka of Hiriyala Hathpattuwa and also appointed Upadyaya of Malwathu Maha Viharaya. During this period the Kekirihenpitiya Rammanda Pokuna Viharaya was looked after by Ven. Dehelgamuwe Seelananda thero and Watareka Pemaratana thero. There were number of student bhikku’s to Pudukkulame Sri Siddhartha Dhammapala Nayaka thero and they are Dedunupitiye Ananda thero, Kulugammana Sri Siddhartha Seelaratana thero and Ganegoda Ratanajothi Maha thero. Dedunupitiye Ananda thero functioned as a teacher of Sri Gunaratana Maha Pirivena in Kekirawa while staying at Sri Chamaragala Old Temple of Pahalagama, Palagala. Kulugammana Sri Siddhartha Seelaratana thero stayed at Kekirihenpitiya Rammanda Pokuna Viharaya in order to look after his Chief Priest Pudukkulame Sri Siddhartha Dhammapala Nayaka thero. Watareka Pemaratana Thero who was looking after Thihawa Gassandalupotha old temple passed away in 1979, Ganegoda Ratanajothi Thero was requested to looked after that temple. 06 August 1982 on the demise of the Pudukkulame Sri Siddhartha Dhammapala Nayaka thero Kekirihenpitiya Rammanda Pokuna Viharaya became under the leadership of Kulugammana Sri Seelaratana Maha Thero. In 1983, Kulugammana Sri Siddhartha Seelaratana Maha Thero was appointed as the Hiriyalapattuwe Sanganayake which refill the vacancy created as a result of the passing away of Pudukkulame Sri Siddhartha Dhammapala Nayaka thero. Chief of the temple Kulugammana Sri Siddhartha Seelaratana Maha Thero under taken number of development works. The Pethangalle Temple which was in a bad status of affairs was totally renewed while the Viharage, the temple house in the foot print of Lord Buddha’s and awasa gruhaya at the Kekirihenpitiya Rammanda Pokuna Viharaya was also reconstructed. Since the Dharmashala was not big enough to accommodate the requirement of the temple a new two storied building was constructed. Additionally, a new protective wall also constructed and the Sri Gothami Dhamma School which was commenced during that time has now become one of the most famous Dhamma School in the area. He continued to take all required action to ensure the progress of both Pethangalle Temple and Kekirihenpitiya Rammanda Pokuna Viharaya. As a result of his continuous efforts in the improvement of the social, religious work he was appointed to the karaka sanga sabha of the Malwathu Maha Viharaya by the Chief Priest most venerable Rambukwelle Sri Dharmarakshitha Vipassi thero in 1994. In 1966, 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1999 Seelaratana Maha Thero was in charge of conducting Bodhi pooja’s of the wholly temple of Tooth Relic. Venerable Thero under took Dhamma Sermons in India, Thailand, Burma and Singapore as well. He was also subsequently appointed to be the Chief Incumbent of Chamaraga Old temple in the demise of the Dedunupitiye Ananda Maha Thero. For the purpose of the taking forward the venerable work to the betterment of Buddha Sasana Kulugammana Sri Seelaratana thero had offered few student bhikku’s to the sasana. In association with his acharya thero Pudukkulame Sri Siddhartha Dhammapala, Ganegoda rathanajothi thero was brought in to higher ordain. Kulugammana Sri Siddhartha Seelarathana Maha Thero and Ganegoda Sri Siddhartha Rathanajothi Thero both had a leading student bhikkhu known as Minigamuwe Ratanapala Thero. The latter obtained his basic education in Minigamuwa Maha Vidyalaya and entered in to Bhikku Sasana in 1979 at Gokarella Rammanda Pokuna Viharaya. Minigamuwe Ratanapala Thero under the guidance of his acharya bhikku studied at Gokarella Polgolla Shasthraravinda Maha Pirivena and and got through G C E (A/L) in 1986 and enter to the University of Peradeniya. He completed higher studies by obtaining Bsc Special with class and then followed with Master of philosophy in Sinhala and a Diploma in Education. At this moment he is reading for Dr. of philosophy and engaged in research while undertaking his studies Minigamuwe Ratanapala Thero is functioning as the teacher in Sri Sangaraja Maha pirivena in Kandy and in 08 July 2002 with the demise of Most venerable Kulugammana Sri Siddhartha Seelarathana Thero appointed a chief incumbent of Kekirihenpitiya Rammanda Pokuna Viharaya and Palagala Balaluwewa Chamaragama old temple. Since then with the assistance of Dayaka sabha he is taking all possible action to improve the both temples and he is paying more attention to Kekirihenpitiya Rammanda Pokuna Viharaya Sri Gothami Dhamma School in order to ensure that it will create an environment for the betterment of the children in the area. He was also fortunate to work in severance the Lord Buddha in the year 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2015 at the Temple of Tooth Relics. He also functioned as the Chief Secretary of Ibbagamuwa Regional Sasanarakshaka Mandalaya. Venerable Minigamuwe Ratanapala thero is heavily involved in the annual higher ordained ceremonies of Malwathu Maha viharaya. Because of his involvement of all these activities he was also appointed to the Malwathu Maha Vihara Karaka sangasabha by most venerable Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thero, the Mahanayaka thero malwathu maha vihara Sector. The Venerable Minigamuwe Ratanapala thero is ably supported by his student Minigamuwe Nandarathana Thero. It is in this Kekirihenpitiya Rammanda Pokuna Viharaya a new Reclining Buddha Statue is being constructed out of the rock that is there which will be unparalleled artistic creation