Galwattahena Ruins at Wewala Forest Hermitage – වෑවල ආරණ්‍ය සේනාසනයේ ගල්වත්තහේන නටබුන්

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Galwattahena Ruins at Wewala Forest Hermitage - වෑවල ආරණ්‍ය සේනාසනයේ ගල්වත්තහේන නටබුන්
Galwattahena Ruins at Wewala Forest Hermitage – වෑවල ආරණ්‍ය සේනාසනයේ ගල්වත්තහේන නටබුන්

Wewalawawa, so named due to the Wewala Reservoir lies 14 kilometers east of Dambulla. Wewala Forest Hermitage lies on a edge of this village on a site of an ancient cave temple complex. Some caves of the ancient temple has been converted for the use of the meditating monks.

This site has been a quite a large forest hermitage in the ancient past based on the number of drip-ledged caves found at the site. This a large low lying rock formation dotted with cave shelters. Roughly 8 areas of caves are found at the site. Every cave has been caved with a drip ledge and dome have been carved with the donation details of the cave.

One inscription has been made during the reign of king Sirimeghavanna (Kithsiri Mevan) during 303-331 AD. This inscription states that the reservoir belonging to Karachudaka Sumana of the village Dakapeni and the rock cave of chief Sonadeva was donated to the monastry on the second day of the ascending moon in the month of Nikini in the 10th regnal year (313 AD) of king Sirimeghavanna. The tank and the paddy fields of the scriber Naga wet lands and Paddy fields of elder Siva and the tank of Buti has been donated for the maintenace of Vihara. It is mentioned in the inscription that the merit acquired is invoked on all beings.

Wewala can be reached from Inamaluwa through Sigiriya (B162) or from Dambulla on the Kandalama Road (B615). The motorable road ends after about 2.5 km passing the the Wewala Reservoir.

A detailed report written in Japanese language of of this archaeological site has been published by an Japanese Archaeology team who had visited these sites in 2013. The photos and the sketches of the caves below is from this report.

Galwattahena Ruins at Wewala Forest Hermitage - වෑවල ආරණ්‍ය සේනාසනයේ ගල්වත්තහේන නටබුන්
Galwattahena Ruins at Wewala Forest Hermitage – වෑවල ආරණ්‍ය සේනාසනයේ ගල්වත්තහේන නටබුන්

References

  • Okamura, T., 2015. RUINS IN CENTRAL EASTERN AREA OF SRI LANKA — at the jungle of Amban Ganga Basin and the outskirts —. Tokyo: South Asian

Also See

Map of Galwattahena Ruins at Wewala Forest Hermitage

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The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

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Travel Directions to Galwattahena Ruins at Wewala Forest Hermitage

Route from Dambulla to Wewala Forest Hermitage
Distance : 20 km
Travel time : 40 minutes
Driving directions : see on google map

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