Pusulpitiya is a village in Kothmale about 3 miles from Morape on the banks of the Kothmale Oya. This area is full of folk legends as this is the area which Prince Dutugemunu spent his childhood when Elara was ruling Anuradhapura.
Pusulpitiya Raja Maha Viharaya is historically linked with the sacred tooth relic, given hidden security here during the times of political unrest of the country. During the Magha rule at Polonnaruwa in the 12th century it is reported that the tooth relic was hidden here. King Vijayabhau III of Dambadeniya came to Kotmale and removed it to his capital. Again when the British were about to enter the Kandyan kingdom, the tooth relic was hidden in this temple. The British found it there and brought it back to Kandy immediately after the capture of the Kandyan kingdom in 1815.
The temple is also said to have one of the four valuable buddha statues which has been brought to Sri Lanka from India by Arahat Maliyadeva (The last maha arahat to live in Sri Lanka). The other 3 statues are housed at Vattarama, Diddeniya and Madanvela. This seated bronze statue under a Makara Thorana is a beautiful work of art. Apart form this statue, there is nothing of significant historic value in the temple.
