Gurugoda Archaeological Reserve

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Ruined stupa under restoration at Gurugoda Archaeological Reserve

Nestled near the Mee Oya River, the ancient ruins of Gurugoda reveal a once-thriving Buddhist monastery and settlement. Scattered stupas, shrines, and monk dwellings whisper of a bygone era, while a nearby 15-acre megalithic burial ground may hold secrets of Sri Lanka’s oldest prehistoric civilization.

Gurugoda is a village situated within the Atharagalla Grama Sewaka Division of the Ambanpola Divisional Secretariat in the Kurunegala District. Excavation and conservation work at the Gurugoda Archaeological Site were undertaken by the Central Cultural Fund. The site lies on an elevated rocky plain within the dry zone and is nourished by the waters of the Mee Oya River, which flows about 200 meters (656 feet) to the south. Several man-made reservoirs in the vicinity, fed by the Mee Oya, indicate that this region once supported a flourishing agricultural community thousands of years ago.

Architectural Remains

The existing ruins extend over an area of about 1.5 acres (0.6 hectares). Within this area are the remains of a stupa, image houses, preaching halls, monk dwellings, storerooms, and ponds—all of which have suffered damage due to treasure hunting.

The stupa stands atop a natural rock outcrop within the temple premises and is enclosed within a square boundary. It is constructed on a raised cobblestone (sakka-gal) platform, positioned approximately 3 meters (9.8 feet) inward from the enclosure’s edge. The platform measures 16.80 meters (55 feet) in length, 3 meters (9.8 feet) in width, and 80 centimeters (2.6 feet) in height. Evidence suggests that the courtyard surface was once paved with brick and clay.

The main entrance to the stupa faces east, with architectural fragments such as the sandakadapahana (moonstone) and korawakgal (guard stones) scattered nearby. Within the stupa courtyard, there is also a sacred footprint stone (siripathul gala) and a circular structure resembling a parasol (chattra).

To the east of the rock lies a group of building ruins. Based on the architectural characteristics, this structure is thought to have been an Uposathaghara (chapter house). The building measures approximately 12.70 meters (42 feet) in length and 8.40 meters (27.5 feet) in width, with 12 standing stone pillars and about 6 others fallen to the ground. The entrance faces south. Additional features such as stone drains, ponds, and steps carved into the rock can also be observed scattered throughout the temple grounds.

Inscriptions Discovered at Gurugoda Archaeological Site

In 2013, 3 inscriptions were discovered on a sloping rock face east of the stupa. Out of the 3, only one was in a state that could be read. The inscriptions are spread over an area of 180 cm x 40 cm. Each letter is about 5 cm in height. Based on characters, the inscription has been dated to the 5th century.

The inscription 1 is a single line which is heavily weathered. Only the last few words can be read.

Inscription 1 of Gurugoda Archaeological Reserve

Inscription 2 is written just below inscription 1 in 2 lines. This inscription too is heavily weathered, but the first line is more readable than the second. This inscription is the most important of the 3, as it identified the ancient name of this vihara complex as “Atharagala Viharaya“.

Inscription 2 of Gurugoda Archaeological Reserve

The 3rd inscription lies to the right of the 2nd inscription and is written in 2 lines. This is the most well-preserved inscription and has been read as follows:

Inscription 3 of Gurugoda Archaeological Reserve

Megalithic Burial Site

In the nearby area, a megalithic burial ground locally known as Gal Sohon Kanatta has been discovered. Covering approximately 15 acres (6 hectares), this burial site is located on an elevated area and was first documented in 1957. Subsequent excavations took place in 1964–65, 1970, 1997, and 2013. Pottery unearthed here closely resembles that of the Pomparippu Burial Site.

In previously discovered burials elsewhere, the remains were interred as ash placed within clay vessels. However, according to a 2013 newspaper report, the burials at Gurugoda differed, as only ashes were placed directly in the ground without such containers. Moreover, while items of jewelry believed to have belonged to the deceased have been recovered from other burial sites, none have been found at Gurugoda to date. These distinctions have led researchers to speculate that Gurugoda may be the oldest megalithic site in Sri Lanka, although no carbon dating has yet been carried out to confirm this.

A simple Balustrade (Korawakgala) at Gurugoda Archaeological Reserve

A simple moonstone at Gurugoda Archaeological Reserve

Ruined buildings of Gurugoda Archaeological Reserve

References

Bandara, Y.K.T. (2017) “Classification of Pottery From Pinwewa Megalithic Burial Site (1997),” The Journal of Archaeology & Heritage Studies, 4(3).
Dissanayake, S. B. (2024). 1016 වර්ෂය සඳහා පුරාවිද්‍යා අධ්‍යක්‍ෂක ජනරාල්ගේ පාලන වාර්තාව. Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka.
.Jinarathana, K. et al. (no date) “First Annual Research Conference – ARHM 2013,” in අඹන්පොළ අතරගල්ල-ගුරුගොඩ පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමියෙන් හමු වු වහරල ශිලාලේඛන පිළිබඳ අධ්‍යයනයක.
ජයසිංහ සකුන්තලා (2013) අඹන්පොළෙන් පුරාණ සොහොන් බිමක් මතු වෙයි, dinamina.lk. Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited. Available at: http://archives.dinamina.lk/2013/12/11/_art.asp?fn=n13121117 (Accessed: November 12, 2022).

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