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Kusalankanda (Kusalan Kanda, Tamil : Kusalanamalai) is a rocky outcrop which lies on the Batticaloa-Badulla A5 road in the Karadiyanaru area. To reach the site you need to Travel on the Eravur road from Mahaoya for 29 km to reach Karadiyanaru. From the Karadiyanaru Seed Farm, turn left and you need to travel on a narrow road across paddy fields for 3 km to reach the rocks.
Covered in rocky peaks, this is surrounded by paddy fields today. This rocky outcrop has been a Buddhist monastery in the ancient past. A mound of bricks which had been the main stupa of the monastery overgrown with wild plants at the peak now resembles a mound of earth.
According to Ellawala Medhananda Thero, there are three rows of rock caves around the mountain from the bottom to the top. Man-made drip-ledges suggest that they have been adobes of monks in the ancient past. Drip-ledge inscriptions are found on 7 of the caves. You can still find remnants of brick walls in some of the caves.
All the inscriptions record the donation of the respective cave the Sangha. One has been read by Henry Parker as
Upaja Naga p(u)te Raja Abaye nama tata-p(u)te Gamini Tisa namate nakarate sudasane sagasa. Born the son (of) Naga (and) by King Abhaya named (his) ‘own son’ (the prince) named Gamani Tissa has prepared the ‘Beautiful’ (cave) of the Community.
This important inscription provides some insight into the lineage of the kings with 3 names, titles and relationships mentioned. Based on the relationships, Parker believed the donor to be King Mahaculi Mahathissa (76-62 BC) and Prof. Paranavithana and Medhananda Thero believed the donor to be King Kavantissa (father of King Dutugemunu) of Magama kingdom in the 3rd century BC. R.A.L.H Gunawardana believes that Uparaja Naga is one of the Dasabatika (Ten Brothers) mentioned in the Bovattegala inscription and an altogether separate lineage.
However, it is obvious that this monastery has been flourishing and receiving royal patronage even before the time of Christ.
On the southeast side of the mountain, there are rows of steps cut into the rock to climb to the top. There are also crumbling remains of a wall made of large rock fragments. The main stupa of this monastery is found on the top of the hill. Stone slabs used as flower alters have been found overturned everywhere.
There is also a large stone pond here and a series of stone steps has been cut leading down to it.
Today a Hindu temple has been constructed at the top and place and all the antiquities have been destroyed or disappeared except for few stone pillars. Unless action is taken immediately, these too may be lost for ever.
References
- එල්ලාවල මේධානන්ද හිමි, 2013. ප්රාචීන පස්ස උත්තර පස්ස නැගෙනහිර පළාත හා උතුරු පළාතේ සිංහල බෞද්ධ උරුමය. 5th ed. කොළඹ: දයාවංශ ජයකොඩි සහ සමාගම.
- Parker, H., 1909. Ancient Ceylon. 1st ed. London: Luzac, p.445.
- ‘The State, Kingship and Buddhism in Ancient Sri Lanka’ (no date) in.
Also See
Map of Kusalankanda Archaeological Ruins in Karadiyanaru
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Driving Directions to Kusalankanda Archaeological Ruins in Karadiyanaru
| From Mahaoya to Kusalankanda Archaeological Ruins in Karadiyanaru |
| Via : Eravur Road Total Distance : 38 KM Time : 45 Minutes Travel Time : Around 20-30 Minutes Driving Directions : View on Google Map |
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