- The Silver Discovery: The temple was built on a silver mine. The silver was used to build the famous Ruwanweliseya stupa. The name “Ridi Viharaya” means “Silver Temple.”
- An Ancient Living Monastery: It is one of the world’s oldest monasteries. Monks have lived there for over 2,100 years. In fact, its tradition is almost continuous.
- Dutch Tiles with Christian Art: The temple has unique Dutch tiles. These tiles show biblical stories and rural scenes. It is a rare blend of Buddhist and Christian art.
- Intricate Illusionistic Artwork: The temple features incredible illusionistic art. This includes paintings of nine women forming an elephant. Also, five women are intertwined to form a vase.
- The Gold-Plated Buddha Statue: The temple holds an ancient Buddha statue. It is gold-plated and believed to be over 2,200 years old. Therefore, a legend says the statue floated to the temple.