{"id":104991,"date":"2020-07-28T17:15:15","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T00:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=104991"},"modified":"2020-07-28T17:15:15","modified_gmt":"2020-07-29T00:15:15","slug":"buddhist-civilization-in-the-north-and-east-of-ancient-sri-lanka-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/07\/28\/buddhist-civilization-in-the-north-and-east-of-ancient-sri-lanka-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"BUDDHIST CIVILIZATION IN THE NORTH AND EAST OF ANCIENT SRI LANKA Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

This essay \nis on the findings of  Ven\nEllawala Medhananda.Ven. Ellawala Medhananda paid special\nattention to the Buddhist archaeological remains in the North and east. He\nexplored as much as he could in these two provinces, using his own resources He\nfound that the north and east had many Buddhist ruins and many explorations\nwere needed, before they could be fully examined and recorded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If one travels north along the sea coast road,\nstarting from Trincomalee town, one can see many Buddhist ruins, even at\npresent, he observed. Many ruins can be seen at Ridikanda area in Trincomalee\ndistrict as well. In Batticaloa district, in the deep forest, there is\nVasibandagala,   Atubandagala, Iddagala, Nelugala, and Mavulivala,\nfull of ruins which have not been explored. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda found that the public did not know\nthat there had been a vibrant Buddhist civilization in the north and east.\nNobody had gone and researched there. So, for several years, after each\nexploration, Medhananda wrote up his findings and sent them \u2018Divaina\u2019\nnewspaper. These writings were very popular. Thousands of readers have\nencouraged me by letter and phone calls, after reading what I wrote, said\nMedhananda.  Medhananda made particular mention of Prof Wijaya\nDissanayake, then in London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda was repeatedly   asked to\nput his writings into one book. The result was, Pacina passsa, uttara passa,\nnagenahira palata ha uturu palate Sinhala Bauddha Urumaya\u201d (Dayawansa Jayakody,\n2003). The book has gone into five reprints, the last was in 2013. It is a\nsubstantial text of 536 pages, giving detailed descriptions of the ruined\nBuddhist viharas and monasteries. This book has been translated into English as\n\u2018The Sinhala Buddhist heritage in the east and north of Sri Lanka (Dayawansa\nJayakody, 2005) .This is not a very good translation and has many omissions. I\nwould therefore advise readers to go direct to the Sinhala original.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda has prepared a set of maps which\nshowed the Buddhist ruins found by him, which are NOT shown on the map compiled\nby the Department of Archaeology. The maps   therefore only show the\nplaces Medhananda has found, they do not show all the Buddhist ruins found in\nthe Province. This should be kept in mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda\u2018s maps shows 17 new locations \n for Jaffna, including 4 on the smaller islands  and 19 for Vavuniya\nand Mullaitivu   Mannar has 32 places, of which 15 are lined along\nthe sea coast.  The map of the Eastern province showed Ampara 22 places,\nmany along the coast or near it, Trincomalee   6, and Batticaloa\n4.  These maps are found   in the English translation, not in\nthe Sinhala original. Medhananda says this list is incomplete. \u2018There should be\nmuch more than we found.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda was able to explore the Eastern\nProvince with greater freedom than the north.  Medhananda has explored 80\nBuddhist sites In the Eastern province. They included Agbo Raja Maha Vihara,\n Ariyakara Raja Maha Vihara, Bollegama Raja Maha Vihara,   \nBalahandu vihara, Bambaragastalawa vihara, Boralukanda temple, Nilaveli.\nBowattegala vihara,   Buddhangala hermitage,    \nDighavapi,  Diviyagala vihara ,   Ganegama vihara , \nGirikumbara vihara ,  Habutala Karandahela vihara ,  Harasgala vihara\n, Henanegala cave temple,  Illukpitiya kanda len vihara Ampara. Kalkulam\nUdagala Dagoba,  Kiliveddi bodiya, Kirivehera  Raja Maha\nVihara,    Kombanachhi Ruhunu Somawathi vihara , Kongala natabun\nvihara ,  Kopavela vihara , Kotaveheragala vihara ,   \nKuchchaveli Maha vihara,   Kudimbigala  hermitage, \nKukuluvagala vihara, Lankapatuna Samudragiri vihara , Linemalai Sipavata vihara\n, Malayadikanda vihara,  Namalu vihara , Nawinna  Raja Maha Vihara (\nAmpara),   Neelagiri  vihara and cave,  Niyaguna kanda\nvihara ,  Okanda vihara ,  Omunugala cave temple,  Panama raja\nmaha vihara , Piyangala vihara ,  Pulakunava Maha vihara ,  Rajagala\nMaha vihara , Ratgala vihara ,  Rugama  Piyakalutota vihara, \nRuhunu magul maha vihara ,  Samangala hermitage, ,Samudragiri, \nSastravela vihara , Seruwila vihara ,  Sri Pana Raja Maha Vihara, Potuvil,\nTilapola pansala,   Tiriyaya, Udayagiri Raja Maha Vihara\n,     Vedikkinarmalai rock temple,  Veheragala cave\ntemple, Veheragama kubira therun vanaya Ampara,  Veherakema  Mavala\nvihara , Velatti badda   aramaya and  Velgam vihara.  \n   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda has also looked at ruins. These are\ngenerally of monasteries or vihara, but some were settlements. Medhananda found\nruinsat Ananda kulam ,  Agbo Raja Maha Vihara  , Allai,\nArantawala  Balagala, Bandaraduva ,Buriyakulam kanda ,\nDighavapi,    Etha bandi wewa, Galkanda ,  Hingurana sugar\nfactory (ruins near it).  Ichchalanpattai, Kadolupotana kanda \nKandikudichchi aru, Kondavattavana,   Koravanvadu, Kantalai \ntrack 6 and track 13 ruins,   Kivulevatta ,\n Kulankullimalai  , Kunchinamalai, Mulgama kanda. Moraha Pokuna,\nMundikulam malai   Narakamulla, Nuwaralagala,  Padi kemgala,\nPallewela, Paragahakele,  Pulmoddai ,  Punyadi  , \nRidikanda  Ranankaduwa,  Sembumalai Serupitiya, Seruwila, Sunetra\nwewa, Taravakulam,   Tirumangala, Toppigala , Valmandiyagala \nVeheragala, Veheragoda ,  Veherakema, Veheratenna, and  Vilankulam.  \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda has also looked at ancient wewas in\nthe Eastern Province.  He found 115 ancient  wewa in Ampara district,\n64 in Batticaloa district  and 300 in Trincomalee district.  In \nBatticaloa and Trincomalee most of the  wewa were known a \u2018kulam\u2019.\nMedhananda has also listed  66 ancient wewas mentioned in \ninscriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda  made it a point to record the\nancient names of the places he explored. Mahakaccakodiya vihara in Vavuniya was\nTittavalkada, . Kuchchaveli maha vihara was Samudradevi vihara.  Verugal\nwas originally Veheragala. Kottiyar pattu was Kotthasara.\n  Panama   was known as Vajana rata  in 7th century.\n A Gama donated to an aramaya become \u2018aramagam\u2019 which became \u2018Arugam\u2019.\nRugam is the Tamilisation of this, said Medhananda .  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda  commented on the ruins he\nsaw. The Yan Oya valley is studded with many stupas and other buildings, he\nsaid.   Inscriptions show that there were Buddhist settlements there.\nAt Lankapatuna Medhananda Found  an unprotected  moonstone, the rest\nhave been destroyed. I found 6 inscriptions  there. After I told them the\nDepartment of Archaeology went and copied the  inscriptions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most number of ruins were found at Ampara.\nOne and a half miles to the east of the preset Devalahinda school, Ampara,\nthere are many ruins of stupas, ponds, Buddha foot prints, and asanagharas.\nthere is a wall fortification 7\u2019 wide, stretching for a distance of about 600\nfeet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sembumale monastery complex spreads over an\narea of more than hundred acres. Somawathi vihara, Kombanachchiya had ruins no\none has seen before. Places like Diviyagala, Damana and Timbirigolle in the\nvicinity also have inscriptions and ruins. Budu patum kande is  \u2018full of\nruins\u2019. Medhananda  found a sandaka pahana there, also interesting \nbricks.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Veherakema,  originally known as \nMavala vehera   is in the middle of the Lahugala forest. Medhananda\ntook four hours to travel  the 7 or 8 miles to get there. he was the first\nto explore  Veherakema. He found a huge rock with the ruins  of a\nprobable padhanaghara, columns  6 or 7  feet high and a plain moonstone\nwithout decoration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Veheragoda ruins at Ampara, there is a\n  stupa which shows the earlier style of  stupa building. this\n style is also seen at Buddhangala and Rajagala.  Veheragoda\nwewa  had a  kalugal sorrowwa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Karandahela, Medhananda found a  lotus\npetal moonstone,  very old bricks, a  huge cave, 512 feet long, 30 ft\nwide,  and 82 feet height   and a rock carved gal vangediya, one\nfoot deep  with circumference of  7\u2019 2\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Veheragalkanda, Medhananda   saw\na foundation , 50\u2019 x50\u2019 with stone door frame facing the east 9\u20198\u201d in height\nThere was another structure,  18\u20198\u2019  by 14 \u20181\u201d  with ten pillars\nin the middle, this could be a  gigantic doorway, said Medhananda . When I\nfirst visited  the place  there was a torso of a statue lying \nthere but \u2018now it is not to be seen\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bambaragastalawa has  acres of \nruins, many, many stupa on hill tops and flat ground,  also remains of\nviharas,  image houses, as well as steps, pillars and   caves.\nThere was no  road access to Bambaragastalawa. Medhananda had to go\nthrough dense forest inhabited by wild animals.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda  said that many of the places\nhe saw have not been looked at by the  Department of Archaeology. There\nare far more Buddhist ruins in Trincomalee district than the 54 given  by\nthe Department, Medhananda said. In our exploration at Digamadulla, too we\nfound many inscription and ruins never seen before. The ruins around Dighavapi\nhave not been explored, either. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda   had explored\nBambaragastalawa,      Lenama, Budubava,\nNalitta,   and found ruins which the Department of Archaeology had\nnot found. There are no reports in the Department of Archaeology as to the\nruins at Mahapattuva , 8 km from Timbirigolla Vidyalaya.  I found very\nfine archaeological  ruins at Kadavat maduva near Batticaloa  railway\nstation.  No one had looked there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Toppigala has not  been properly explored\nby the Department  of Archaeology .   Medhananda found 150\narchaeological sites in Toppigala. All hillsides around Toppigala  such as\nMotagala, Vesibandagala,  Atubandagala, Varakamulla, \nKunchinamalai,  Devinigala,  Kavinigala, had vihara on it. Every hill\nside  around Thoppigala has a ruin of  an aramaya. There were\ninscriptions too. I spend 8 days exploring in Toppigala jungles, said\nMedhananda . <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Viharagal kanda at Trikonamadu  has ruins\nextending for 10 acres. These have not been explored before. The  ruins\nof  stupa, walls, caves,  asanaghara could be seen. There is an\nancient wewa near ruins. The archaeological sites   at Vasi bandagala, \nAtubandagala, Iddagala, Nelugala,  Mavulivala, have not been explored\nbefore. There are lots of ruins . Siripalena, Siluminiseya, Devagala in\nMaduruoya  valley also  have unseen ruins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The area north of Badulla \u2013Eravur has not\nbeen  explored. Lots of  Buddhist      sites\nthere in the forests, also ruins of irrigation schemes. There are Buddhist\nruins also at Perillaveli in Eravur pattu, Batticaloa district. These are in\ndense forest and have not been seen by the  Department of archaeology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda   found  that many\nareas, now thick forest,  had been populated in ancient times. The whole\nThottama area was  populated.  A part was at Digamadulla under\nRuhuna, a part was under Wellassa. Irrigation channels at Valmandiyagala showed\nthat this was a large settlement. Periyakulam is actually Manamatta wewa and is\npart of the Sinhala irrigation  schemes.  Kannimaduwa\ninscription  refers to Salapavu vehera and its villages, said Medhananda .\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda  found 114 wewas at\nDimbulagala  as well as an area which had held paddy fields in the \nancient  period. . <\/em>Harasgala and Serankada vihara  near Maha\noya were prosperous in ancient times said Medhananda. Veherapokuna in Maduru\noya valley was an important  stopping place between Magama and Jaffna.\n Ruins at Velatti badda       aramaya in\nUhana, shows that this was a very developed aramaya. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The north and the east were a part of\nthe  ancient Raja Rata, explained Medhananda . The Raja rata was divided\ninto uttara passa ( north) dakkhina, ( south)  pacina, (east) and\n pajjima (west) .  Each division was ruled by officer appointed by\nking, said Medhananda . <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda\u2019s explorations confirmed that the\nEastern province was originally Sinhala  Buddhist. Medhananda found that\nin  the east, Kumbukkan oya had Kamboja gama, Heda oya bank had Mayvelesa\ngama,   Gal oya had Dighavapi. Batticaloa  had  Kasaba\nnagara,  Giritisa gama,Karaginitisa gama, Vilagama,  Malu gama. \nVihara gala ara,(  Verugal aru  today)   had \nDahadiya. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 At Pulukunava  there are ruins all\nover the place. You see caves all over the hillside, with and without drip\nledge and inscription. There are about 70 caves of different\nsizes.    This whole area has been a developed Sinhala Buddhist\narea, said Medhananda . Sipavata vihara at Linemalai on Potuvil \u2013Akkaraipattu\nroad, Ampara, has inscriptions which have not been examined. They indicate that\nthis area was once a  Buddhist agricultural area.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Panam pattu,  today has Helawa Eliya, a\nSinhala gama. Tilapola pansala near Kallar,  \u2018also has a Sinhala gama\n today,\u2019 said Medhananda .  In 1806, the AGA  had found 7 \nSinhala villages,  Halava, Okanda,  Kumana, Potana, Yala, Buttuwa,\nPalatupana  in Panama. Today there are just two villages left, Panama and\nKumana and they are destitute, said Medhananda.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inscriptions in Mahaweli region  indicate\n that there were many  settlements there. These areas were suitable\nfor agriculture. There was flat land and water.  At least 25,000\nsettlements would have been there, said Medhananda . There were two ancient\ntowns, Seru and Soma between Veheragala  aru and Mahaweli. ( continued) <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS This essay  is on the findings of  Ven Ellawala Medhananda.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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-104991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kamalika-pieris"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104991"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104991\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}