Athalagala Ambalama in Polgahawela (පොල්ගහවෙල අතලගල අම්බලම)

57 years ago5 seconds ago02 mins

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Located on an exposed rock outcrop on Yogamuwa Kanda, the Athalagala Ambalama sits directly on granite bedrock. This brick-and-mortar structure features open half-walls, internal cement benches, and heavy square masonry pillars supporting a tile-clad hipped roof, offering panoramic views and shelter for travelers.

In ancient times, people traveled from place to place on foot or by cart. Pilgrimages and trading journeys were measured in days rather than hours, making the availability of resting places an essential part of travel. To meet this need, ambalams, or wayside rest houses, were constructed at strategic locations along well-travelled routes.

Access Route

Yogamuwa Kanda extends along the western side of Polgahawela town. The Athalagala Ambalama stands on an exposed rock outcrop on Yogamuwa Kanda, offering an excellent view of Polgahawela below.

A narrow, steep road leads from Polgahawela town towards the Balumgala Purana Viharaya. Continue past the temple and the Yogamuwakanda sub-post office to reach the vicinity of the site. There is no clearly defined path leading directly to the Ambalama, and the final approach must be made across the exposed rock surface.

Architectural Features

The Athalagala Ambalama is constructed directly on a natural exposed bedrock outcrop, using the solid granite surface as its foundation. The lower portion of the structure consists of substantial brick-and-mortar half-walls finished with rough plaster, with a centrally positioned opening providing access to the interior. The open space above the walls allows unrestricted 360-degree ventilation while offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.

Cement benches are built along three sides of the interior, providing seating for travelers.

The structure is supported by robust square masonry pillars integrated into the corners and ends of the half-walls. Free from elaborate ornamentation, these functional pillars carry a four-sided hipped roof designed to withstand strong winds and heavy rains. The roof is clad with traditional interlocking Rata Ulu (Calicut clay tiles).

Also See

Map of Athalagala Ambalama in Polgahawela

Click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map

Show Location on Google Maps

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

Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Athalagala Ambalama in Polgahawela (පොල්ගහවෙල අතලගල අම්බලම)
Located on an exposed rock outcrop on Yogamuwa Kanda, the Athalagala Ambalama sits directly on granite bedrock. This brick-and-mortar structure features open half-walls, internal cement benches, and heavy square masonry pillars supporting a tile-clad hipped roof, offering panoramic views and shelter for travelers. […]
Delgolla Ambalama in Polgahawela (පොල්ගහවෙල දෙල්ගොල්ල අම්බලම)
Built beside ancient travel routes, the Delgolla Ambalama in Polgahawela provided historical travelers with shelter, water access, and rest. The rectangular brick structure features open-sided seating, cylindrical and rectangular pillars, an enclosed rear room, and a traditional tile-clad gable roof. […]
Nilwakka Ambalama in Kegalle (කෑගල්ල නිල්වක්ක අම්බලම)
The Nilwakka Ambalama is a rectangular rest house on a 0.6-meter platform with a low, open-walled design for ventilation. Built with flat clay roof tiles and seven pillars, recent restoration altered its original roof shape and replaced wooden pillars with cement. […]
Eachchaiyadipattai Archaeological Ruins in Kiran (කිරාන් ඊච්චෛයඩිපත්තෛ පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Eachchaiyadipattai ruins in Thadanai, Batticaloa, comprises two ancient pillared structures. Positioned six meters apart, they retain five and nine standing pillars. Treasure hunting and agriculture have heavily damaged and scattered the artifacts. […]
Eachvaiyadi Archaeological Ruins in Kiran (කිරාන් ඊච්වෛයඩි පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Eachvaiyadi ruins in Kiran, Batticaloa comprise two distinct structural clusters: one featuring four stone pillars and another containing seventeen stone pillars, located 50 meters apart. Used for paddy cultivation, the site suffers from displaced, fallen, and partially buried artifacts. […]
Kokkaddichcholai Archaeological Ruins in Kiran (කිරාන් කොක්කඩ්ඩිචෝලෛ පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Kokkaddichcholai ruins in Kiran, Batticaloa are located within a large paddy field near the Perillaveli Reservoir. Heavily destroyed by agricultural expansion, the site's primary surviving visible remains are two stone pillars showing ancient quarrying marks, measuring 120 cm and 80 cm in length. […]
Kilagapallam Archaeological Ruins in Kiran (කිරාන් කිලගපල්ලම් පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Kilagapallam ruins in Batticaloa lie inside a paddy field. The site features two short, standing granite pillars (42 cm and 10 cm high). A large granite slab and scattered pillar fragments also sit in a nearby forest patch. […]
Koraveli Ancient Rock Quarry in Kiran (කිරාන් කෝරාවේලි පුරාණ ගල් බිඳුම් ස්ථානයේ නටබුන්)
The ancient rock quarry in Koraveli, Batticaloa, spans a rock formation showing centuries of stone extraction near the Maduru Oya. The southwestern section displays Anurādhapura-period quarrying, while the northeastern side features drill-holed rock slabs from the Polonnaruwa period. A rock-cut pillar foundation stone sits 250 meters north. […]
Devagirimalei Rock Buddhist Archaeological Ruins in Kiran (කිරාන් දේවගිරිමලේ පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
The Devagirimalei Rock (Uuttumalei) ruins in Kiran, Batticaloa sit atop a 400-meter long forested outcrop. The looted site features a square rock socket, a plain moonstone, stone walls, and numerous scattered brick and pillar fragments that have cascaded down the slopes. […]
Kele Dambulla Rajamaha Viharaya (කැලේ දඹුල්ල රජමහා විහාරය)
It is believed that due to its association with King Walagamba this place has been named Dambulla, locally better known as Kele Dambulla. It is also believed that this site has served as a security frontier during ancient times. […]
Gampaha Kuttivila Ambalama (ගම්පහ කුට්ටිවිල අම්බලම)
Gampaha Kuttivila Ambalama stands out as a significant resting spot, situated alongside a green paddy field and the Kirindiwela-Batuwita road in Gampaha. Crafted from durable brick and mortar, this Ambalama presents itself as a sturdy rectangular structure. Positioned with its entrance facing the main road, it is embraced by a half-height protective wall. […]
Makuletenna Ambalama (මකුලේතැන්න අම්බලම)
The Ambalama at Makulethenna lies just 100 meters away from the Makulethenna Rajamaha Viharaya in Matale. To reach this building from Matale, take the Harrison Jones Road and travel 3.5 km along this narrow road. The ambalama lies near the road surrounded by lush paddy fields. […]
Pettilkulam Buddhist Archaeological Ruins in Vakaneri (වාකනේරි පෙට්ටික්කුලම් බෞද්ධ පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Pettilkulam ruins in Kiran, Batticaloa lie within Pettilkulam forest. Damaged by treasure hunting and brick manufacturing, the site features a destroyed stupa, flower altars, and two buildings with 2-meter and small stone pillars, respectively. […]
Periya Muruthtthanai Archaeological Site with Padhanaghara (පෙරිය මුරුත්තනෙයි පධානඝරය සහිත පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The Anurādhapura-period monastic complex in Muruthtthanai (Kiran) is situated on rocky outcrops within Kollalakarni Forest. The heavily looted site features a ruined Padhanaghara (meditation house) with stone steps, a drip-ledged natural rock cave, an ancient rock quarry, and a picturesque pond. […]
Thanthravali Buddhist Archaeological Ruins in Muruthtthanai (තන්ත්‍රාවලි බෞද්ධ පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Thanthravali Monastic Complex in Akkuranai (Kiran) sits forested near the Maduru Oya River. The site features a looted 4-meter-tall brick stupa mound, structures with 14 and seven stone pillars, a flower altar, and a stone-walled pond system. […]

Access Route

Architectural Features

Also See

Map of Athalagala Ambalama in Polgahawela

Share this:

Leave a ReplyCancel reply