KAMALIKA PIERIS

Ven. Ellawala Medhananda has explored the Buddhist ruins in  the North Western  Province. The North western Province consists of two districts, Puttalam and Kurunegala. Puttalam which is a coastal  district, contains Wilpattu and Pomparippu. Medhananda   has visited both places.

Medhananda found a large monastery complex at Pomparippu, in ruins. This area is now Muslim so we cannot get information, said Medhananda. Muslims do not like to show Buddhist ruins. They made that clear in their conversations with us when we went to explore the ruins. Medhananda had to stop his Pomparippu exploration and return home.

Medhananda had done an exploration of Wilpattu with the assistance of Minister S.M.Chandrasena. He stayed at Wilpattu for a week. But could not see even a fraction of what was there. Wilpattu has many Buddhist ruins, said Medhananda. Wilpattu is full of ruins, every hill, every rock, said Medhananda. It is a surprise that even these ruins are still standing”.

There are ruins near Mullikulam on north bank of Moderagam aru. These have not been examined.  Ochchappu kallu had an inscription but Medhananda had not been able to look at it. There are ruins also at Rajavanthi hatpattuva, Kirimetiya pattuva, Vele vewa, Pichchindiyawa vihara, said Medhananda. Access to these ruins  is only through a path from   6th milepost at Puttalam- Anuradhapura road.  

Vilindagoda area in Wilpattu is rich in archaeological   material.  It has many cave and rock inscriptions. No explorations had been done earlier in the area. Medhananda explored Vilindagoda . Vilindagoda was known originally as Salvana vihara . It is now in ruins but Medhananda found an inscription, dated to Mahinda I (730-3) which said that king’s officers must not enter the temple and create trouble.

Medhananda has shown that Wilpattu  came directly under the Anuradhapura kings. He has illustrated this with an example from Sinadigala. Sinadigala is in Vilachchiya korale, in Wilpattu, near Moderagam aru.. Sinadigala is accessed by going  to Wilachchiya then across Halmillgalavala through forest to Sinadigala  .The ruins  in Sinadigala  have been destroyed,   but there is a rock inscription .This inscription is not well known.

The inscription said that Vasabha (67-111) had spent  one lakh of kahavanu on  the uposathghara at Dhakkina vihara, Anuradhapura . Arrangements for renovation and for dane to the monks , was also recorded. The inscription then said that   king Vasabha had  built Kalapahanaka wewa, now known as Karambakulama, spending 5000 kahavanu, and donated its water tax to [Dhakkina vihara]. This was a huge wewa, said Medhananda .

The inscription also refers to Magana nagara. Fifty families in Magana had  helped in  the wewa project.  Magana  was situated between Mantota and Mannar on the coast.   Vattapukallu inscription  shows that  Magana nagara was   by the mouth of  Moderagam aru.

Medhananda found several Buddhist ruins in Kurunegala .Wellagala Raja Maha Vihara, Wariyapola   has a huge reclining Buddha and an inscription dated to Ist century AD.  In Vanni Hatpattu, Medhananda explored Halamba gal len  vihara  and Halbe Raja Maha Vihara  . Medhananda said he was not able to explore Halbe Raja Maha Vihara  as thoroughly as he wished. this  should be done, he said.

At Ganekanda vihara Polpitigama, also known as Mandalaramaya,  he found 7 new  inscriptions..  at least two were important and rare said Medhananda . One inscription had a reference to Gokani grama which must mean Trincomalee. Another  said   that a king gave a lakh for the labour  needed for a wall for Tarapa gama to obtain water. It is probably an amuna, said Medhananda .

One inscription  was  very long . it recorded a     donation of paddy fields and  kahavanu in the time of king  Bhatika(sic). Also a donation of money to Sudamma chetiya. It is rarely that stupa get names, commented Medhananda.

Medhananda also found two cave inscriptions at Ganekanda. one  cave has been donated by  the head and deputy head of a trading  concern( velenda samagamak). Another donor was an intelligence or secret service man.

Medhananda has also visited Rangirimada Raja Maha Vihara,  Hiriyala, Kebel lena vihara, Hiriyala, Rangiri len senasuna, Hiriyala,  Naindanava vihara, Polpitigama, Budumuttawa Raja Maha Vihara,   Nikaveratiya and Sadun giri magam pura Raja Maha Vihara . 

Ven. Ellawala Medhananda has explored Buddhist ruins in    North Central Province. Henanigala, near Dehiyattakandiya had caves, stupa, and row of steps cut into rock. Veherapokuna in Maduru oya valley, and places close by such as Kadupahara ella, Daminavela,  Henanigala, Kudavila  had ruins.  Siripalena, Siluminiseya, Devagala in Maduru oya  valley have unseen ruins, said Medhananda.

Medhananda also explored Katupotha kande lena,  Mihintale, Sinhapura Raja Maha Vihara ruins at no 10,12 , 13 Yaya , Nadiya gala Raja Maha Vihara     and Ehetuwewa pansak kanda ruins. Serupitiya ruins were  not examined till Medhananda did so. 

In Sabaragamuwa province , Medhananda explored Galpaye Bambaragala  aranya  ruins, Veneragodella. This was very tricky to explore, said Medhananda . it was Dangerous and one  could get injured. Wellagala Raja Maha Vihara   at Wariyapola   had a huge reclining Buddha and an inscription  dated to  1^st  century AD.

Medhananda has explored some  Buddhist ruins in Uva Province. Medhananda  discovered a second Nagadipa vihara in Badulla.  To get there,  instructed Medhananda , go 14 miles from Mahiyagana, on Bibile –Mahiyangana road, past Gaduguduwawa and Agna ulpatha, then 3 miles past the ulpatha, there is a  narrow path to Nagadipa wewa.

There is huge stupa  at Moneragala Veherayaya ruins.  Also  hundred more stupa,  destroyed by fortune hunters. No one has explored here, said Medhananda . Medhananda found archaeological  sites on  the line of hills, Sitakanda, Maragala kanda,  Obbegoda kanda, Sri pana kanda. At Sri pana kanda, he found cave temples,  cave, inscriptions and  ruins of stupa.

The hills  in the belt between  Karanda oya and Gal oya is full of viharas. Every  paddy field,  or    empty land is full of archaeological  remains, inscriptions,  and so on, he said. They were still discovering the ruins at Kolladeniya, Medhananda observed.

Medhananda also explored Bingoda Raja Maha Vihara,   Wellassa.  Suduveli mankada ha gal hira mankade vihara,   Moneragala, Seethkanda aranya senasana, Moneragala, Konduvattavana ruins, originally Kandewatta wana    and  Devala hida village, inginiyagala.

When he went to look at Bingoda Raja Maha Vihara, Wellassa Medhananda  took along the A level students of Dharmaduta Vidyalaya, Badulla.  When he went to explore Velellugoda kanda archaeological site he took teachers and pupils from Karandana Maha Vidyalaya.

In the Southern province, Medhananda looked at Bilivana  vihara in Hambantota,  known also as   Karambagala senasuna  . This vihara had caves ‘all over’. One cave could accommodate 400. In another cave there was a  seat. Medhananda   found 5 new  inscriptions  there. One inscription was a cave donation by king Sirimeghavanna. ( continued)