Heritage

Karambagala Karandulena Aranya (කරඹගල ආරණ්‍ය සේනාසනය)

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Karambagala Hermitage (Karandulena) - Stupa at the top of the hill — Karambagala Hermitage (Karandulena) – Stupa at the top of the hill
Photo by Dr. Ashan Geeganage

Karambagala Hermitage also known as Karandulena Hermitage is an ancient forest hermitage with a large number of caves in the Ambalantota area. The ruins in this area are spread over 2 hillocks. One is Madunagala and the other is Karambagala. Madunagala Hill is 327 feet high and Karambagala Hilltop which lies 600 meters away is 392 feet high.

It is believed that this was the Biliva Temple noted in a rock inscription belonging to the King Kithsiri Mevan (303-311 AD). Since this hill resembles a relic casket this hill is also called Karandulena.

This complex shows the ruins of 3 stupas. One stupa which has existed at the top of the Madunagala hill has been completely destroyed by treasure hunters and only the bricks spread around the site remains.

Another stupa lies at the top of the Karambagala rock and has been extensively renovated so much that the size or shape of the original stupa cannot be guessed. The only clues to its antiquity is a simple moonstone with a Lotus design and a large number of broken rock pillars of what must have been an ancient building.

On another rocky surface below this stupa lies the remains of another ancient stupa which is not yet restored.

This rocky hill is covered in ancient caves with drip ledges but most of them have been recently renovated losing all the antiquity. There is one large cave which could house about 400 people. One of the caves which has been converted into an image house is believed to be the Kurundaka Cave where the Chitta Gupta Maha Thero (who is mentioned in Visuddhi Margaya) lived for 60 years.

There are 4 rock pillars and 10 pillar bases in front of the cave which indicates that this cave has had a roof in front at one time.

The Karambagala Hermitage (Karandulena) can be accessed by travelling 18 km from Ambalantota on the Ridiyagama Road.

Karandu Maha Lena where the Chitta Gupta Thero Lived at Karambagala Hermitage (Karandulena)

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Map of Karambagala Hermitage (Karandulena)

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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 Karambagala Hermitage (Karandulena)

Route from Ambalantota to Karambagala Hermitage (Karandulena)

Distance : 18 km
Travel time : 30 minutes
Driving directions : see on Google map

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Mihintale Slab Inscriptions and the Relic House (4වන මිහිඳු රජුගේ මිහින්තලේ පුවරු ලිපි)
The inscription of King Mahinda IV belonging to the tenth century is installed on the two sides of the entrance to this Vihara. The relic house is a square building. […]
Dambegoda Pillar Inscription in Maligawila (දඹේගොඩ ටැම් ලිපිය)
Established by King Mahinda IV (956-972) Dambegoda Pillar Inscription in Maligawila narrates the religious acts of the king and lays down rules for the administration of certain religious establishments. […]
Kotttapitiya Slab Inscription (කෝට්ටපිටිය පුවරු ලිපිය)
The Kotttapitiya Slab Inscription is considered one of the 14 valuable inscriptions of the Anuradhapura Era. The pillar inscription is believed to have been placed by King Mahinda IV (956-972) and is 6 feet in height and 1.5 feet wide. 45 lines of text have been inscribed on this pillar. […]
Ranawa Andiyagala Pillar Inscription (රණව ආඬියාගල ටැම් ලිපිය)
Placed by King Dappula IV in the early part of the 10th century, this Ranawa Andiyagala Pillar Inscription declares a sanctuary for Animal, Plants as well as Humans in the Namal Uyana area. Even royal guards were prohibited from entering this area to apprehend criminals. […]
Dutugemunu Pillar at Ruwanweli Seya (දුටුගැමුණු ශිලා ස්ථම්භය)
Many do not pay special attention to this pillar which is generally called "Dutugenumu Pillar" but the story behind this pillar is interesting as the construction of the Ruwanweli Seya itself. This pillar was installed by King Devanampiyatissa (250-210 BCE) on the advice of Mihindu Maha Thero. […]
Wadamunai (Wadamune) Megalithic Burial Site in Maduru Oya Valley
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Gurugalhinna Megalithic Burial Grounds
Gurugalhinna Megalithic Cemetery was initially uncovered and examined in 1896 by R. W. Levers. Subsequently, in the 1970s, Raja De Silva from the Department of Archaeology led excavations at Gurugalhinna. However, the burials at the site have not been scientifically dated. […]
Dalada Maligawa of Kurunegala Kingdom (කුරුණෑගල රාජධානියේ දළදා මාලිගාව)
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Thottama Ariyakara Rajamaha Viharaya Archaeological Site (තොට්ටම අරියාකාර රජමහා විහාරය පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
Thottama is an remote village far away from any major road network in Damana Divisional Secretaries Division. The ancient temple of Thottama Ariyakara Rajamaha Viharaya is believed to be built during the 1st century BC to the time of king Saddhatissa. […]
Mirahala Rajamaha Viharaya Archaeological Site in Bakmitiyawa (බක්මිටියාව මීරහල රජමහා විහාරය පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
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Ilukpitiya Cave Archaeological Site in Hingurana (හිඟුරාන ඉළුක්පිටිය ගල්ලෙන පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
Ilukpitiya Archaeological Cave lies close to the Ilukpitiya Rajamaha Viharaya in Hingurana. This cave was declared as a protected archaeological site in 2014. […]
Veheragala Archaeological Site in Damana (දමන වෙහෙරගල පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
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Kethsirigama Archaeological Site in Damana (දමන කෙත්සිරිගම පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
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Madawalalanda Mattayagala Archaeological Site in Ampara (මඩවලලන්ද මොට්ටයාගල පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
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Pannalgama Ruwanmaluwa Aranya Senasanaya Archaeological Site in Ampara (අම්පාර රුවන්මළුව ආරණ්‍ය සේනාසනය පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
There are number of sites where ruins of the ancient Digamadulla kingdom exists scattered in the jungles around Pannalgama. One such site is the Ruwanmaluwa Aranya Senasanaya, a living forest hermitage of meditating Buddhist monks. […]
Illukpitiya Rajamaha Viharaya and Malayadikanda Archaeological Ruins in Ampara (අම්පාර ඉළුක්පිටිය රජමහා විහාරය හා මලයඩිකන්ද පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
Illukpitiya Rajamaha Viharaya (Malayadikanda Rajamaha Viharaya) complex along with the ruins on the Malayadikanda hillock has been dated to the reign of king Kavantissa of Ruhunu kingdom who ruled from 205 BC to 161 BC. […]
Ekgaloya Reservoir Archaeological Ruins in Ampara (අම්පාර එක්ගල්ඔය වැව පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
A site of ruined buildings with granite pillars belonging to the ancient Digamadulla kingdom has been discovered on the Ekgaloya Wewa and this area of ruins were declared as a protected archaeological site in 2014. […]
Kotawehera A.C. Camp Archaeological Ruins in Ampara (අම්පාර කොටවෙහෙර ඒ. සී. කඳවුර කැලයේ ප්‍රාග් ඓතිහාසික සිතුවම් සහ පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The village of Kotawehera of Ampara lies about 8.5 km away on the Inginiyagala Road from the Ampara town. Pre historic paintings in drip ledge caves have been discovered in the jungles surrounding the A.C. Camp Village in Kotawehera. […]
Samapura Veheragodella Archaeological Ruins in Ampara (අම්පාර සාමපුර වෙහෙරගොඩැල්ල පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The hillock with a dilapidated stupa along with granite ruins of ancient buildings on the hillock called Veheragodella in Samapura was declared as a protected archaeological site in 2014, […]
Samapura Pullayar Kovil Archaeological Ruins in Ampara (අම්පාර සාමපුර පුල්ලියාර් කෝවිල පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
Samapura Pullayar Kovil lies just 800 meters from the Ampara roundabout on the Inginiyagala road adjoining the Ampara Wewa. The Rock plain with chronicles at the premises this Pullayar Kovil has been declared as a protected archaeological site by the Government in 2014. […]

Also See

Map of Karambagala Hermitage (Karandulena)

Travel Directions to Karambagala Hermitage (Karandulena)

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