Nai Pena Guhava is a prominent rock complex located within Wilpattu National Park and can be accessed via the Kala Oya Beat Office. Among its notable archaeological features is a ruined stupa, now heavily damaged by treasure hunters. The stupa originally measured approximately 60 meters in circumference and stood around 3 meters in height.
Maha Andaragollewa Wewa is an ancient and now-ruined reservoir situated near the eastern boundary of Wilpattu National Park. On a rock outcrop at the reservoir’s bund, an archaeological site was discovered, featuring remnants such as a foundation stone, a square-shaped stone block, and scattered brick fragments. Two natural rocky pools can also be seen on the same outcrop.
Tammannawala (also spelled Thammannawala) site contains the remains of a stupa, stone pillars, foundation stones, and brick fragments. The ruined stupa has a circumference of approximately 55 meters, with a 2-meter-deep pit dug into its center by treasure hunters. The surviving stone pillars, ranging in height from 1.2 to 3 meters, suggest they once supported multiple structures of varying sizes.
The Wettambugala cave itself is a monumental natural formation—75 meters long and approximately 20 meters high. The paintings span a surface area of about 60 meters in length and 3 meters in height, depicting a variety of subjects: human and animal figures, symbolic motifs, and notably, numerous wild elephants.
After the British took control of Dutch-held territories in 1802, a new resistance emerged in the form of Vanni Bandara (Tamil: Pandara Vanniyan), a chieftain from the Kolamune area in Mullaitivu. Married to a woman from the Nuwarawewa family in Anuradhapura, he gained support from both northern and southern Vanni factions.
Moratota Himi began the construction of Selawa Rajamaha Viharaya during King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe’s time. The project was later continued and completed under King Rajadhi Rajasinghe (1781–1798), who was himself a disciple of Moratota Himi. It was King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe (1798–1815), the last monarch of Sri Lanka, who finally completed the enshrinement rituals by placing the “eyes” on the Buddha statue
Opposite the Nelson Cinema Hall in Trincomalee, on an irregular quadrilateral plot of land near the St. Stephen’s War Cemetery, stand four ancient Bo trees, now largely forgotten and left to deteriorate. These sacred trees—267 years old—are a living symbol of the revival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka during the Kandyan era
This ancient Kadurugoda Viharaya lies at the base of a prominent rock formation rising roughly 200 meters. The site includes the remains of a large ancient stupa, now reduced to a mound. Its center has been dug by treasure hunters. At the entrance to the stupa platform, two broken stone pillars stand, and a carved stone slab—likely part of an ancient doorway—serves as a step.
Velgam Vihara is a rare 2nd-century BCE monastery near Trincomalee that survived Chola invasions through unique Tamil patronage. Renamed Rajarajaperumpalli, it features a fusion of Buddhist and Hindu architecture, standing as a landmark of enduring religious and ethnic coexistence.
King Udaya I, referred to as Uda in the Pujavaliya and Rajavaliya, was the son of King Mahinda II. He ascended the throne in 797 CE following his father’s death. The Culavamsa does not explicitly mention his name, leading to some confusion in earlier historical records where some identified him as King Dappula II.
King Mahinda II, also known as Salamevan Mihindu in the Pujavaliya and Rajavaliya, was the son of King Aggabodhi VI (r. 733–772 CE). He ascended the throne in 777 CE following the death of his uncle, King Aggabodhi VII, and ruled for 20 years. Unlike his predecessors, Mahinda II’s reign was marked by continuous rebellion and political challenges.
Aggabodhi VII, referred to as Kuda Akbo in Pujavaliya and Rajavaliya, was the son of King Mahinda I (730-733 CE). He became king in 772 CE following the death of his cousin, King Aggabodhi VI.
Aggabodhi VI, referred to as Sulu Akbo in the Pujavaliya and Akbo in the Rajavaliya, was the son of King Kassapa III. He became king in 733 CE following the death of his uncle, King Mahinda I. Upon ascending the throne, Aggabodhi VI took the regnal name Silamegha.
King Mahinda I, referred to as Midel in Pujavaliya and Midelpana in Rajavaliya, the youngest son of King Manavamma, ascended the throne of Anuradhapura in 733 CE, following the death of his brother King Kassapa III. Like his elder brothers, Mahinda was born during Manavamma’s exile in the Pallava Kingdom, and his early life was shaped by the political turbulence of the previous decades.
King Kassapa III, called Kasabu in Pujavaliya and Rajavaliya the second son of King Manavamma, ascended the throne of Anuradhapura in 724 CE, following the death of his elder brother, King Aggabodhi V. Like his brothers, Kassapa was born during their father’s exile in the Pallava Kingdom.
King Aggabodhi V—referred to as Agrabodhi in the Pujavaliya and Akbo in the Rajavaliya—ascended the throne of Anuradhapura in 718 CE, following the death of his father, King Manavamma. He was the eldest of Manavamma’s three sons, all of whom were born during their father’s exile in the Pallava Kingdom of South India.
![King Manavamma [684-718 CE] and his three sons](https://i0.wp.com/amazinglanka.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/manavamma-01.jpg?fit=300%2C164&ssl=1 "Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Manavamma [684-718 CE] (මානවම්ම රජතුමා)")
King Manavamma—known as Mahalepano in the Pujavaliya and Rajavaliya—ascended the throne of Anuradhapura in 684 CE after defeating King Hatthadatha II, the puppet ruler installed by the powerful Tamil minister Potthakuttha. His accession marked the end of prolonged civil strife and the beginning of two centuries of stability under the restored Lambakanna dynasty.
King Hatthadatha II, also called Hunannaru Riyandala in Pujavaliya and Rajavaliya. was a puppet king of Tamil chief minister Potthakuttha, of King Aggabodhi IV who placed him on the throne after the death of previous puppet king Datta. However, his rule was short-lived when Manavamma attacked and killed him in battle just six months into his reign.
The death of King Aggabodhi IV in 683 CE, who had brought rare peace and stability to the Anuradhapura Kingdom, plunged the island once again into political turmoil. The carefully maintained equilibrium between Sinhalese royal authority and Tamil mercenary influence collapsed, and the island’s fragile unity was shattered.
Also known as Siri Sanga Bodhi in the Pujavaliya and Rajavaliya, King Aggabodhi IV ascended the throne of Anuradhapura in 667 CE, following the death of his elder brother, King Dathopatissa II (659–667 CE). His reign marked the beginning of a rare era of peace and stability after decades of incessant civil war and political strife.
