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Photo courtesy of Dr. Ashan Geeganage
Kethsirigama Mihindu Aranya Senasanaya in Uhana, Ampara is built on the site of an ancient aramic complex which is believed to go as far back as the 1st century BC. The temple lies on a rocky plateau close to a small reservoir on the Koknahara Road a few kilometers away from Wadinagala.
At the foot of the rock lies the temple complex and a new stupa built on a rock. This stupa is probably built on top of an ancient stupa site since today you will use the same steps cut into the rock thousands of years ago to reach this stupa. Another ancient dilapidated stupa now lies covered with weed resembling a mound of earth.
the site is scattered with broken parts of rock pillars of ancient buildings. In addition, there are ruins of buildings, granite steps, guard stones, Nidan Gal (A granite block with 3×3, 4×4 or 5×5 holes filled with valuables or relics and placed underneath Buddha statues), moonstones and a large headless statue of what seems to be a Bodhisattva. Further into the Aranya and onto the hill lies some drip ledge caves used by the current meditating bhikkhus.
The ancient ruins at the Mihindu Aranya Senasanaya including the ancient stupa, plight of steps and ruins of ancient buildings were declared a protected archaeological site under the Antiquities Ordinance Act by the government in the Gazette issued on 26th December 2014, and the location as follows ;
“Arama complex with ruins of ancient buildings, plight of steps, Chaithya at the premises of Mihindu Aranya Senasana belonging to Kethsirigama village situated in Grama Niladhari Division No. W/26/A, Kethsirigama in the Divisional Secretary’s Division, Damana in Ampara District in Eastern Province. (Latitude 71º66´ 85´´ N and longitude 81º58´ 195´´ E).”
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Map of Kethsirigama Mihindu Aranya Senasanaya
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Travel Directions to Kethsirigama Mihindu Aranya Senasanaya
| Route from Ampara to Kethsirigama Mihindu Aranya Senasanaya |
| Through : Damana Distance : 40 km Travel time : 1 hour Time to spend : 1 – 1.5 hours Driving directions : see on google map |
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