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Loading...15 kilometers away from Kurunegala, on the banks of Kospothu Oya which is a tributary of Daduru Oya close to the Alawala Amuna (anicut) lies this partly damaged inscription engraved on a rock surface, now protected by an iron fence.
Its existence was recorded by Edward Müller in his Ancient Inscriptions in Ceylon (1883: 72, no. 171) but he provides neither the text nor the translation of the record. Müller states that there is a long inscription in large sized modern characters on a rock close to the river. It contains a grant to the temple of Maedagama, which is situated in the neighborhood, by King Parakramabahu (1236 -1270) of Dambadeniya (Mueller, 1883). However Müller has given neither the text nor the translation of the record (Paranavitana, 1960).
In 1931, Paranavitana made a physical visit to the site and traced the content of the inscription. According to him, Mueller had not really attempted to read the inscription and but has merely repeated what the villagers told him.
The inscription covers an area of 12 ft. by 11 ft. 8 in., and consists of thirty-three lines. The letters, which are deeply and clearly engraved, vary in size between 2¾ in. and 5¼ in. The script, on the whole, is the same as in other records of the middle of the fourteenth century, e.g. the Gadaldeniya rock-inscription of Dharmakirti Thero.
According to Paranavitana, the grant registered in the document was not to the benefit of the Maedagama temple. The inscription refers to the building of the Lankatilaka Viharaya, and mentions Sena-Lamka-Adhikara in this connection, the king referred to cannot be Parakramabahu of Dambadeniya Kingdom.
But this belief of the people of the place could possibly have been due to the mention of a king named Parakramabhu in the inscription. The first ten lines of the record have been badly damaged by treasure hunters and the king’s name, which was in the fourth line, has been lost for ever. As the document registers grants made to the then newly founded temple of Lankatilaka, the royal donor must be Buwanekabahu IV (1341-1351 CE) or Parakramabahu V (1344-1359 CE).
Muller does not mention that the first ten lines of the record were damaged when he inspected it ; possibly he could read the name of Parakramabahu in line 4, and was therefore inclined to accept without hesitation the opinion of the villagers.
According to Paranavitana, this inscription has been made after the other 2 Lankatilaka inscriptions where the land donated to temple far exceeds the other two donations being 90 yala’s. Therefore he assumes that this inscription is possibly made by king Parakramabahu V (1344-1359 CE).
References
- Mueller, E. (1883) Ancient Inscriptions in Ceylon. Collected and Published for the Government. Trübner & Co.: London.
- Paranavitana, S. (1960) ‘Lankatilaka Inscriptions’, University Of Ceylon Review, XVIII(1 & 2), pp. 1–45.
Also See
Map of the Alawala Amuna Rock Inscription
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Driving Directions to Alawala Amuna Rock Inscription
| Route from Kurunegala to Ataviragollewa Pillar Inscription |
| Though : Distance : 15 km Travel time : 30 minutes Driving directions : see on google map |