KAMALIKA PIERIS

Ven. Ellawala Medhananda paid special attention to the Buddhist archaeological remains in the North and east. He explored as much as he could in these two provinces, using his own resources. He found that the north and east had many Buddhist ruins and many explorations were needed, before they could be fully examined and recorded.

Ven. Ellawala Medhananda was not able to explore the North as much as he would have liked, due to LTTE control. The Northern Province consists of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar, Mullaitivu and   Vavuniya districts.

Medhananda   gave the historical background to the Buddhist civilization of the North. He   stated that Jaffna, Elephant Pass and the islands around it was known originally as Nagadipa. Ptolemy had called it   ‘Nagadiboy’.  Vallipuram manuscript of Vasabha called it Nakadiva.

Medhananda says the North is full of Buddhist remains, every hill, every mound has a Buddhist   building.  Every village had an aramaya. .  Medhananda  said that there were over 1500 Buddhist archaeological sites in the districts of Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Mannar. He has found foundations of buildings, lived in caves, inscriptions, pada lanjana and bricks. He says there are many more sites. Medhananda  said there are more than 20  archaeological sites on  the small Dollar Farm village alone.

Medhananda also   named 48 places in  Jaffna   and 90  places in Vavuniya and Mullaitivu  which had Buddhist ruins. Each time I went to  Vavuniya and Mullaitivu  I found new ruins. He says this list is not complete, there are other unexplored places. There are more than 20 archaeological sites on Dollar Farm alone. Most are in private lands. The ruins showed  remains of stupas, foundations of buildings, statues, pada lanjana, bricks,  tiles,  potsherds. 

Vavuniya and Mullaitivu Buddhist  ruins have not been examined  fully by anyone., said Medhananda . Most of these are not  recorded by Department of Archaeology.  ‘We have never explored these areas, said Medhananda . Our archeology only concentrated on Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa   and a few other places. Each time I went to  Vavuniya and Mullaitivu  I found new ruins.

Vavuniya is  full of Buddhist  ruins. There are  hundreds of  Buddhist ruins In Vavuniya there are three sets of ruins in a straight line, at Mahakachca kodiya,    Erupotana,  and  Periyapuliyam kulam malai. Odiamalai, Thadda malai, Kurundam malai had  inscriptions. Kurundammalai ,  originally Kurunvashoka vihara, had a  lot of ruins. Medhananda said that this was the place  where he saw the most ruins. Have not seen so many ruins in any other place I  have gone to.

From Jaffna to Wilpattu, all along the ocean strip, one sees places with over 100 ruins. No explorations have been done in this area. These sites were never examined carefully, other than presenting a random report.

 in the Northern Province. The viharas seen by Medhananda in his northern explorations include Atambagaskada kiri vihara , Buddhanehela Raja Maha Vihara , Galgiriyagama kanda vihara ,  Iratperiyakulam vihara ,  Kadurugoda vihara ,  Kurundammalai vihara ,  Madukande Dalada vihara , Mahakachcha kodiya vihara,   Mangana vihara . Piyagukatissa vihara , Paribhoga chaitya, Salavana vihara ,  Tonigala vihara ,   Valli vihara, Vedikinarimalai Vaddamana parvata vihara .

Medhananda  gives  48 places  in Jaffna where he has seen Buddhist ruins He says there are others as well. the places listed are Algiriya, Anai kottai, Analativu,Ariyalai,  Atchuveli, Buddhatottam, Buddhawalawwa,  Chakaveli,  Changanai, Chulipuram,  Chunnakam, Delft,  Elavativu, Gotamalu watte,  Karaitivu,Kodiyavatte Mahiyapiddy,  Mallakam, Manipai, Marattamadam,Mavaddipuram,  Nagachcha kovil precincts,   Nagarkovil, Nainativu,Nallur, Neelavarai, Pinwatte, Ponnalai, Poonaryn,  Pukuditivu, Puloli, Puttur,Sambaturai,Tellipilai,  Tennavali, Tiruadanilai,    Tisamalai,   Tunukai, Udupiddy, Uduvil,  Uratota,Uraturai, Vadukkodai, Valikamam and Valvettiturai. Medhananda says these ruins show bricks, tiles, statues, potsherds, inscriptions.   Most are in private lands, Medhananda observed..

In Vavuniya and Mullaitivu Medhananda has explored the following places: Ariyamadu,Atambagaskada,  Bogaswewa, Buddha kovil,  Bumaya, Chelliyar villu, Chenkal veddi kulam,Chenmadu, Dollar farm, Eeratperiyakulam, Erupothana, ,   Iluppu kulam,  Iranai illupun kulam, Iranamadu, Irasattiram kulam,Iruvil,Kachchilamadu, Kallaru, Kalnattan kulam, Kalukundammaduwa, Kanagarayam kulam, Kanchiramuddai,  Karadikulam,  Karavil kulam,   Karidikkulam, Kokkavelliya, Kongaraya kulam,  Kontaka karnakulam, Kovil puliyan kulam,Kumbakarna malai,Kurum puliyan kulam, Madukanda, MahakachchkodiyaMahamailan kulam, Mamaduwa Manikai,  Maniyar kulam,Mankalkeni,Mannan kadal,Manthri vihara,  Maradamadu,Maratamadu, Menik farm, Mohonnan kulam, Molliyavela,  Mudaliyakulam,Namban kulam, Navagama Kirivehera,  Nayaru,Nedunkerni, Nelukkulam, Nochchiya moddai,Oddusuddan,  Odiyamalai,  Olumaduva, Omandan, Paddikudiirippu, Padivettukulam, Palamoddai, Panaiyan kulam,Panangama,   Patta kattuveli,  Pavattakulam,  Periyakulam,  Periyamar iluppai,Periyauttukai, Pokkaravanni  tunukai, Pudukudi iruppukulam,Puleliya, Pumaduva,   Puravasan kulam,  Puvarasankulam, Ruvanmadu, Samalankulama, Sirappanmaduva,Tachcankulam,Tadikkulam,  Tambankulama, Tapassavellliya,  Tiranamadu,  Tiraviyamalai,Tonigala,Tukkumarattadi, Tuntimuruppu wewa, Udavelikulam, Ulakkulam,Unjaral kaddi, Vadamarachhci, Variyakuddiuru, Veherabanda  wewa, Vettilkulam,  Vettiyakulam and   Yakumadu yaya.

In Mannar  Ven. Medhananda has visited Arippu , Cholayan kaddu,  Compotukki,      Ilukpeyikadachei, Irantivu, Kadappiditti kulam,   Kohala wewa, Kunchi kulam, Magana, Malikai kulam, Mannankulam, Mantota,  Moderagam ara, Mudalikulam, Mukkarayakulam, Mulliyakkulam, Musali, Na vehera,  Olivettikulam, Pachcha addappan wewa,  Paniyankulam,  Pannankamam, Periyanavakkulam, Pesalai, Puliyankulam, Rajakulama, Rajamaduva,Rakkha vihara,  Samadetiya,  Talaimannar, Tiruketiswaram, Ttuvavali,  Valli vihara , Vachinikulam    and Vellantarai. 

Medhananda has also  found ruins of some 1538 tanks form Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Elephant pass, Pooneryn Omanthai and Mannar. Medhananda had also made a list of the wewas found in the Northern Province. They are listed by name in his book. He has listed 340 wewa in Vavuniya, mostly called kulam, and 15 wewa in Mannar Iranamadu in  Kilinochchi district,  was  originally Ranmadu wewa. 

Medhananda has given  a detailed description of the sites he has visited. In Vavuniya,  Medhananda   explored Buddanehela  Raja Maha Vihara  . Ruins are fast   deteriorating he said. Galkiriyagama kande vihara, had  remains of a huge stupa , a  Siripatula and ponds. Inscriptions show king Uththiya’s queen had  built   a structure here.

Kirivehera at   Atambagaskada, 6 km from Vavuniya, has a Samadhi Buddha statue, which is  far superior to those found in this area. According to villagers was brought from elsewhere; it is 2’ 21/2” high   the head dress or ketumala is unique. Eeratiperiyakulam   ruined vihara, Vavuniya, ruins show avasa, vihara and 150 year old  Bodhi tree. Medhananda had found a stylish statue in pieces and  had put it together.  ( continued)

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