ALAHANA PIRIVENA

The Alahana Pirivena is a monastic complex founded in the 12th century by King Parakramabahu I, which extended over 80 ha. It includes the Buddha Seema Prasada, a meeting hall where the monks used to meet, the Kiri Vihara, whose plasterwork is in a remarkable state of conservation, and the Lankatilaka, whose gigantic walls (17 m high) protected an immense Buddha from view, now decapitated. Its dome has collapsed and the frescoes have been erased by the ravages of time. The ruins of stupas surrounding the site are believed to be royal cenotaphs