Handapanwila Rajamaha Viharaya Archaeological Site

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Remains of ancient stupa at Handapanwila Rajamaha Viharaya

Discover Duwegala: where a 2,000-year-old ship carving proves ancient Sri Lankan seafaring! This sacred rock holds King Lanjatissa’s inscription and the history of a monk who helped reconcile two princes.

The Handapanwila Rajamaha Viharaya is situated on a rocky outcrop called Duwegala in Handapanwila village, located within the Dimbulagala area. This site, Duwegala (also spelled Duvegala), functions as an ancient Buddhist monastery. The surviving ruins at the monastery consist of a stupa, rock inscriptions, and the remnants of former structures.

There are two important inscriptions at this site. A rock carving depicting a ship and an inscription attributed to King Lanjatissa, who reigned from 119 to 109 BCE.

The archaeological site of Duwegala seems to have been first officially documented by archaeologist H.C.P. Bell in September 1897. During this visit, he inspected the ruins and created a hand-drawn copy of the cave inscription, which was written in early Brahmi characters.

H.C.P. Bell’s Visit and Documentation

Bell’s Administration Report for that year includes the following concise remarks about the location:

“September 1.- Cross the Mahaveli Ganga into the Egoda Pattuva, Duvegala, A solitary rock (eight kilometres from Yakkure round the vil) [five miles] between Handapan-vila and Bandi-vila. Remains around it of an ancient monastery. On the top of the rock an inscription of Lajji Tissa, (119-109 B.C.), and below a short cave record.”

Details of the Inscription

The main inscription occupies a substantial area of the rock surface. The first two lines measure approximately 4.7 meters [15½ feet] and 4.3 meters [14 feet 3 inches] in length, respectively. These measurements do not include the mangala letter ‘si’ found in the first line. The third line is significantly shorter, measuring only 1.7 meters [5 feet 7 inches] and containing ten letters. The script itself is characteristic of the first or second century. Bell identified that the inscription records the construction of a vihara (monastery) by King Lanjatissa (119–109 BCE) for a priest named Gotagataka Tisa-tera.

The script has been read as below:

Success! King Lanjaka-Tissa, having built a Vihara for the Elder Godhagatta Tissa, gave to this vihara, the two categories of revenue of the tanks Vakaravi, Viharavi, Panitakavi, of the lake named Nikula, and of the channel of Kalahanagara.
(Paranavitana, 1983)

It is believed that Gotagataka Tisa was the Thero responsible for reconciling the two brothers, Prince Dutta-Gamini (Dutugemunu) and Prince Tissa, the sons of King Kavantissa.

The Thero acknowledged the Sangha’s (monastic community’s) fault in not intervening sooner to reconcile the brothers and prevent bloodshed among their own people. As a form of penance, the Sangha provided a contingent of five hundred monks to accompany Prince Gamini’s army when he marched to fight the Chola King Elara (205-161 BCE).

Lanjatissa was the elder son of King Saddhatissa (who reigned from 137 to 119 BCE). Saddhatissa was consecrated king after the passing of his elder and more powerful brother, King Dutugemunu (who reigned from 161 to 137 BCE).

Lanjatissa himself ascended to power around 45 years after the reconciliation of the two brothers. Given this timeline, scholar Paranavitana (1983) suggested that Gotagataka Thero would have been quite advanced in age when King Lanjatissa (119–109 BCE) made the donation of this temple, the Handapanwila Rajamaha Viharaya, to him. (Paranavitana, 1983).

Handapanvila Inscription with a sketch of a ship (Paranavitana, 1970 : plate XXV)

The inscription at Duwegala, dated to the 2nd-1st century BCE, features a unique symbol: a ship with sails. This carving is located inside the cave that currently houses the image house of the Handapanwila Rajamaha Viharaya.

This ship symbol serves as one of the clearest pieces of evidence demonstrating that shipbuilding was already established in Sri Lanka during the pre-Christian era. Recognizing its historical significance, the symbol has been adopted as the official logo of the Maritime Archaeology Unit of Sri Lanka.

The inscription reads from right to left as

(Symbol) Barata-Sagarakitasa lene
(Paranavitana, 1970)

Regarding the interpretation of one of the inscriptions, Paranavitana (1970) interpreted the text as meaning “The cave of lord Sangharakkhita.” However, some archaeologists propose an alternative reading, believing that Sagarakitasa translates to “Sagarakitti” (සාගරකිත්ති), a name suggesting a connection to or meaning “serving in the sea.”

Deterioration and Restoration

Over time, the ancient monuments and buildings at the temple site were destroyed, primarily due to enemy invasions and the activities of treasure hunters. The site, which was located in the elephant-infected jungles of Dimbulagala, was subsequently neglected until efforts were made to restore it.

The site was cleared and maintained for over twenty years by Matara Kitalagama Sri Seelalankara Thero, who was the then-prelate of the Dimbulagala Aranya starting from 1972, a commitment he upheld until his death.

Declaration as an Archaeological Reserve

The site, known as Duwegala, which contains the ruins of ancient buildings, drip-ledged caves, and other archaeological features, including the stupa and rock inscriptions, was officially designated as an archaeological reserve on 1st February 2023. This declaration covers the site’s geographical data points within the wildlife conservation zone in Handapanawila Village, located in the Grama Niladhari Division of Maguldamana, within the Dimbulagala Divisional Secretary’s Division, Polonnaruwa District, North Central Province.

North Latitudes East Longitudes

7° 50’ 6.12” N – 81° 3’ 39.39” E
7° 50’ 17. 38” N – 81° 3’ 37.50” E
7° 50’ 13.17” N – 81° 3’ 31.46” E
7° 50’ 8.54” N – 81° 3’ 31.20” E

Ruins of Buildings at Handapanwila Rajamaha Viharaya

The carving of the ship belonging to the 1st-2nd century BC at Handapanwila Rajamaha Viharaya

References

Paranavitana, S. (1970) Inscriptions Of Ceylon  | Volume I  | Containing Cave Inscriptions From 3rd Century B.C. To 1st Century A.C. and Other Inscriptions In the Early Brahmi Script Vol 1. Colombo: Archaeological Survey Of Ceylon.
Paranavitana, S. (1983) Inscriptions of Ceylon | Volume II Part 1 | Containing Rock and Other Inscriptions From the Reign of Kutakanna Abhaya (41 BC – 19 B.C.) to Bhatiya II (140 – 164 A.D.) . Colombo: Dept. of Archaeology, Archaeological Survey of Ceylon.
Wikramanayaka, V. (2023) ‘Monuments to be declared as Ancient Monuments’, The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka EXTRAORDINARY, 2317/57, p. 4A.

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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.

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