{"id":105351,"date":"2020-08-10T03:40:43","date_gmt":"2020-08-10T10:40:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=105351"},"modified":"2020-08-10T03:40:43","modified_gmt":"2020-08-10T10:40:43","slug":"buddhism-in-present-day-eastern-province-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/08\/10\/buddhism-in-present-day-eastern-province-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"BUDDHISM IN PRESENT DAY EASTERN PROVINCE Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

The   Eastern Province was an integral part of the\nRajarata of the Anuradhapura kingdom. The Raja rata was\ndivided into uttara passa\n(north) dakkhina, (south) pacina, (east) and pajjima (west) and ruled by king\nnominees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Eastern Province\nplayed a special role in the political life of ancient Sri Lanka. The\nProvince    functioned as a refuge during\nthe period. Whenever they were in trouble, not only\nprinces but also monks ran to Ruhuna, said Medhananda. As\na result, the Eastern\nProvince nurtured a second independent kingdom, the Ruhuna kingdom ruled by the\nMagama kings. These Magama kings were closely related to the Anuradhapura\nkings. They were not a rival dynasty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

King Kavantissa of the Magama dynasty united\nRuhuna under him. The capital of Ruhuna south was Magama, Ruhuna north was\nDighavapi, said Medhananda.   Saddhatissa was put in charge of Dighavapi. Medhananda also said that Gal Oya was\nthe boundary between Ruhuna and Pihiti   that\n Uva province extended to Pottuvil    and\nthat Digamadulla in ancient times included Ampara and Batticaloa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dutugemunu, the\nlast Magama king, re-united Ruhuna and Anuradhapura, kicking out Elara, who had\ndone absolutely nothing for Anuradhapura in his time there.   The\nEastern Province was an asset to the Sinhala king. Trincomalee was a   major port. There was high\ngrade copper at Seruwila. Ilankaturai is now emerging as a possible\ninternational port. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Eastern\nProvince continued under the Sinhala king .Kumachola inscription at Eravur   said that the eastern coast (pajinikara) was\nadministered in king Vasabha\u2019s time (67-111 AD) by minister Asigira.  At Kandakudichci\naru ruins Medhananda  found two    \ncave inscriptions  dated to 2 AD. The\nscript and language resembled that at Ritigala, Vessagiriya,  Mihintale . Velendagoda Salavana vihara had\nan inscription dated to Mahinda 1 (730-33).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An inscription\nnear Allai wewa is dated to Dappula IV (924-35). Vijayabahu I (1055\u20131110) fought\nthe Cholas from Ruhuna.\n<\/strong>Vikramabahu I \n(1111-32)  had hidden in Ruhuna.<\/strong> <\/strong>  Kanichchigala in Beerihorowwa\ndivision, Ampara\ndistrict,   had an inscription by Nissanka Malla\n(1187-96). Dathuvamsa (13 century) mentions 27 Sinhala\nvillages around Kotthasara. Kotthasara is present day Kottiyar pattu, in the\nTrincomalee district. Kottiyar Pattu consists of Muttur, Seruwila and\nEechchilampattu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Eastern Province eventually became a part\nof the Udarata kingdom. Udarata kingdom was huge, about three times the size of the\nPortuguese and Dutch possessions. Baldeus (1632-72) writing during the\nDutch occupation, gave a list of places under the Sinhala king. It included\nTrincomalee, Mannar, Batticaloa and Jaffna.  Envoys\nfrom Britain, Denmark, France and Netherlands entered the Udarata kingdom in\nthe 17th and 18th centuries, through the ports of Trincomalee and Batticaloa.\nThe Eastern\nProvince remained with Udarata until the kingdom came to an end in 1815. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Archaeologists (I think they were from the\nDepartment of Archaeology) confirmed at a talk I attended, that the Eastern\nProvinces had a long standing, substantial civilization. It had many\nprehistoric settlements and at least 40 sites of the early brahmi period, they\nsaid. There was an unbroken sequence of inscriptions from 3rd century BC to 13\ncentury AD. There were a huge number of sites containing Buddhist ruins. There\nhave been many urban centers. There was evidence of many irrigation schemes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda provided further information. The\nEastern Province was very suitable for agriculture, he pointed\nout. It had flat land, water and excellent drainage. The\nevidence indicates that there were at least 25,000 settlements in Ruhuna, he said.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda\nestimated that there was a huge population at Piyangalla vihara. He said Arantalawa was\npopulated in ancient times. This whole area has been populated said Medhananda  when he explored Mudugala pilima lena. The\narea was partly under Ruhuna and partly under Wellassa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Villages were established close to rivers, as\nthey needed water, observed Medhananda. Medhananda gave the\nnames of some of the villages. Kamboja gama, near  Kumbukkan oya, Mayvelesa gama near Heda oya ,\nDighavapi near  Gal oya, Dahadiya near\nVerugal aru ( Vihara gala ara), Gonagamaya, \nUruvela,  Magana near Mahaweli. <\/em>There was alsoKasaba nagara, Giritisa gama, Karaginitisa\ngama, Vilagama, Malu gama.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inscriptions<\/strong> show that Eastern Province was\nBuddhist said H.G Dayasiri and C.B. Ambanwela. \nThey found inscriptions at Kiripokunakanda, Lunubokke, Moralagommana,\nImbuldeniyagodakanda and Pahala mawela kande Raja Maha Vihara, which showed\nthis. Medhananda said that inscriptions at\nSeruwavila, Kulankallumalai, and Ichcilanpattai showed that there were Buddhist\nsettlements there. Kulankallumalai is 3 miles from Ilankathurai. The\ninscription near Allai wewa speaks of Kavudul Vehera, he added. Sipavata vihara inscription indicated that\nthis area was once a Buddhist agricultural area. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A list of Buddhist sites including those in\nthe Eastern province, were prepared in 1962 by M. H. Sirisoma, Assistant\nCommissioner of Archaeology. Medhananda added further sites to this. 6 more for\nTrincomalee, 4 more for Batticaloa and 22 for Ampara. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buddhist\nTimes<\/em> (2007) provided\nits own list of Buddhist sites in north and east. Trincomalee had 81,\nBatticaloa had 22 and Ampara had 41. Archaeological Department has listed 54\nancient religious places in the   Trincomalee\n district, but  Medhananda says there are many more such sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eastern Province was part of the Buddhist\ncivilization of Sri Lanka from the very beginning. The ashes of Ven. Mahinda\nare interred in a stupa at Rajagala, in present day Ampara .Dighavapi is one of\nthe solosmastana of Buddhist worship. There is also Girihandu Seya at\nTiriyaya, considered the first stupa and  Kukkuta giri parvataya which held Buddha\u2019s\nlalata dhatu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Eastern Province\ntoday has three levels of Buddhist monuments. There is the national level. Pilgrims\nworship at Dighavapi and Seruwila. They visit Tiriyaya and the forest\nmonasteries. Secondly, there are the temples which serve the local population. Lastly,\nthere are the ruins of the Buddhist temples which existed in the ancient and medieval\nperiod. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers have\ngone to the Eastern Province to see what Buddhist ruins remain, and how the\nremaining Buddhist heritage can be protected. Researchers, notably Medhananda, have found\nmany ruins of Buddhist monasteries and temples. Many ancient buildings were destroyed\nwhen the Mahaweli scheme started said Medhananda.<\/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. Kucchaveli is one such place. It was once Kanikaravellika samudda\nvihara. This area included present Sembumale, said Medhananda. Sembumale\nmonastery complex spreads over an area of more than hundred acres.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many ruins can be seen at Ridikanda area in Trincomalee\ndistrict said Medhananda. Pulukunawa Maha vihara has ruins all\nover\u201d indicating that this whole area has been a developed Sinhala Buddhist\narea.   The Yan Oya valley is studded with many stupas\nand other buildings.  Panama\npattu forest range is full of archaeological ruins. There is no protection for\nany of it, continued Medhananda.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hills in the\nbelt between Karanda oya and Gal oya is full of viharas. Every paddy\nfield,     empty land is full of archaeological\nremains and inscriptions. Wewas and canals which were part of ancient\nirrigation systems could be seen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are ruins at Kurundammalai or\nKurunvashoka vihara.  I have not seen so many ruins in any\nother place I have gone to,\nsaid Medhananda. There are Buddhist\nruins over at least    600 acres around\nKudumbigala.  Numerous stupas can be seen\ntoday, on the rocks.   Madakande Dalada vihara was full of ruins. There\nare Buddhist ruins at Kusalana kanda, Kudulupothana malai and Othiya malai. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diviyagala,\nDamana and Timbirigolle have inscriptions and ruins in the vicinity. Kudimbigala,\nVeheragoda, Panama vehera also had Buddhist ruins. These were watered by Kudimbigal\nAra,   Halava oya, Vil oya and Heda oya. Medhananda\nexplored the Thoppigala ruins.  He went\nin 1983 With three others. Every hill\nside  around Thoppigala has a ruin\nof  an aramaya, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda also found ruins at Nawinna Raja Maha Vihara      and Kombanachchi or Ruhunu Somawathi\nvihara. There are\nhillocks full of old bricks around Verugal ara near Upparu lagoon, Medhananda\nsaid.\nMedhananda also\nlooked at the Buddhist ruins at Icchilanpathi,  Kanchimalali, Kivulevatta,\nKulankallumalai, Moraha Pokuna, Naraka mulla, Ranankaduwa,\nRatugala  and Thottama. Medhananda had explored\nBoralukanda temple, Nilaveli,  Illukpitiya\nkanda Len vihara, Ampara, Malayadi kanda vihara, Digamadulla    and Sri\nPana Raja Maha vihara, Pottuvil.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda\nemphasized that many of the sites he had explored have not been seen by the\nDepartment of Archaeology. No exploration as been done at Samangala forest\nmonastery. There are no reports in the Archeological Department as to the ruins\nat Mahapattuva or the Ovagiriya temple complex. These places have been ignored\nin archaeological investigations and it is difficult to get at any prior data,\ncomplained Medhananda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thottama, Manthottama, Pannala oya and Ambalan\noya has archaeological  remains  which \nare not registered. There are lots of\nruins at Vasi bandagala,   Atubandagala, Iddagala,\nNelugala, Mavulivala, in Eravur area, which have not been explored before, said\nMedhananda. Ruins at Pillumalai, Kopavali, Tamketiya have never been\ninvestigated. The area north of\nBadulla \u2013Eravur has not been explored.  There\nare lots of Buddhist sites there in the forests,\nAlso ruins of irrigation schemes. The\nruins at Perillaveli are in thick forest. They have not been seen by the\nArcheological Department. Sipavata vihara inscriptions have not been examined. There are no\nreports in the Archeological Department \nas to the ruins at Mahapattuva[1]<\/a>\nwhich are about 8 km from Timbirigolla Vidayalya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 There\nhas been no systematic explorations of Welikanda to Batticaloa , Batticaloa to\nBadulla, Maduru oya area. these are now deep forest. Viharagal kanda at Trikonmadu\nhas ruins for 10 acres. These have not been explored before. Even the ruins around\nDighavapi have not been explored. Serupitiya ruins were examined for the first time\nby me, no one had gone there before, said Medhananda. Pallewela ruins were also discovered by me, he said. Medhananda has\nalso visited the Bandaraduva and Balagala ruins, ruins\nnear Higurana sugar factory, Veheragala ruins, Mulgama kanda ruins,  Koravanvadu ruins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medhananda has written extensively of his\nfindings in the Eastern Province. a selection of these are given here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n