Mada Vehera Ruins inside Angammedilla

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Polonnaruwa Mada Vehera Ruins inside Angammedilla National Park - අංගම්මැඩිල්ල තුල පිහිටි මැද වෙහෙර බොදු නටබුන් — Polonnaruwa Mada Vehera Ruins inside Angammedilla National Park – අංගම්මැඩිල්ල තුල පිහිටි මැද වෙහෙර බොදු නටබුන්
photo source : Ruins in Central Eastern Area of Sri Lanka

Unexplored ruins of Meda Vehera ( මැද වෙහෙර) lies on the western border (on the opposite bank from embarkment) of the massive Parakrama Samudraya reservoir in Polonnaruwa built by king Parakramabahu the Great (1153-1186). These ruins were explored by a Japanese archaeology team in 2011 and have been documented in detail in a Japanese publication. The GPS location and the following information have been extracted from this report.

This site is located on the opposite bank of the old town of Polonnaruwa, with Parakrama Samudraya in between, and is about 3 km west in a straight line. GPS measurements were 7 degrees 56 minutes 55 seconds north latitude and 80 degrees 58 minutes 29 seconds east longitude.

From Polonnaruwa, we initially drove on the national highway leading to Giritale. After getting off at the northern end of the lake, we walked south on the dry bottom of the lake and bush for about 2 km to reach the ruins. This route cannot be used when the lake has a lot of water, but there seems to be no other route that can be approached by land (it is unknown whether the approach can be done by water). Although this site is located in Angammedilla National Park on the map, it was investigated without applying for entry permission.

This is a large temple complex with a stupa, a Buddhist temple, and of multiple buildings in the precincts of 100 square meters. The outer bounty of the complex, built on a slope that gently descends toward the lake, consists of a retaining wall made of a combination of large moulded stones with a side of 1 to 2 meters (Photo 9-1 and 9-2). There is a pagoda in the northwest corner, a pagoda in the southeast and a little closer to the centre In the precinct, and building traces in the north centre and southwest corner. From the size and shape, it can be inferred that it is a temple built in the style of Pabbatha Vihara. formulated in the capital Anuradhapura at that time since the 9th century. Due to the size and the time available for the survey, it was not possible to make a detailed survey of each part, so in this report, I would like to limit myself to the outline and explanation of the characteristic remains. (Fig. 9-1)

Ruins of the Stupa

Ruins of a large stupa with a diameter of about 35 m, and a brick pile with a height of about 9 m remain on the mound. There is a large pit excavated by treasure hunters at the top of the mound. The shape and original height of the platform cannot be guessed due to these damages (Photo 9-3).

Ruins of the Image House

A 10m x 8m rectangular structure is built using bricks at an elevation of about 1m higher than the surrounding area (Photo 9-4). A pedestal base for a Buddha statue is found nearby and pieces of a Buddha statue is scattered all over the precinct indicating these damages are due to treasure hunters running amuck among the ruins (photos 9-5 to 9-8). In addition, there were scattered decorative stone pillars, stones used for water services, stone urinals, etc. (see photo 9-10-9-12).

Note: Although the research team writes that the site lies inside the Angammadilla National Park, the GPS point given by the team lies in a populated area near a minor road. Therefore there may be a mistake in the GPS point during publication.

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 Ruins Exploration and Research Society (SARERS).

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Travel Directions to Mada Vehera Ruins inside Angammedilla

The modern town of Polonnaruwa is also known as New Town, and the other part of Polonnaruwa remains the ancient royal city of the Kingdom of Polonnaruwa.

Route from Colombo to Polonnaruwa Sacred City	Route from Kandy to Polonnaruwa Sacred City
Through: Central Highway—Kurunegala—Dambulla Distance from Colombo: 230 km Travel Time: 5 hours Driving Directions: See on Google Maps.	Through: Maradankadawala–Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time: 2 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.
Route from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa Sacred City	Route from Batticaloa to Polonnaruwa Sacred City
Through: Maradankadawala–Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time: 2 hours Driving Directions: See on Google Maps.	Through: Maradankadawala–Habarana Distance: 103 km Travel Time : 2 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps.