Mavil Anga: An Anuradhapura-Era Image House in Vakarai

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Kallarippu Mavil Anga Archaeological Ruins

Mavil Anga is an Anuradhapura-era site in Vakarai featuring a 24-pillar image house. Key finds include a Siripatula Gala and Padmasana, marking it as a significant early Buddhist monastery now hidden within the dense eastern jungle.

Deep within the jungle hinterlands of the Eastern Province lies the Mavil Anga Archaeological Site, an isolated remnant of Sri Lanka’s early Anuradhapura Period. Located near the village of Kallaripu, this site provides important evidence for the expansion of Buddhist monasteries into the eastern regions during the Anuradhapura Era.

Location and Access

The ruins are situated within the Kadiraveli 213 Grama Niladhari Division, under the Korala Pattu North (Vakarai) Divisional Secretariat. Accessing the site requires traversing the dense vegetation of the Mavil Anga rocky mountain range.

The Trek to Mavil Anga:

From Kadiraveli, travel towards the Verugal Bridge on the main road.
Turn left onto Mavil Anga Road and proceed for 3.5 km.
Near the culvert, turn right and travel for 1 km.
The final approach requires a 500-meter trek into the jungle on the left-hand side.

Architectural Layout: The Image House

Archaeological surveys conducted at the Mavil Anga site have identified the primary structure as an image house (patimagera). In addition to this main structure, the remains of two other buildings have also been identified within the site.

Despite damage caused by unauthorized excavations and the effects of time, the foundational context of the site remains sufficiently clear to interpret its original layout and function.

Structural Specifications:

The Pillar Grid: The building was supported by a grid of 24 stone pillars, arranged in six parallel rows with four pillars per row.
Pillar Style: Unlike the towering monoliths found in the capital of Anuradhapura, these pillars are relatively short.
Foundation: Recent disturbances have inadvertently exposed the brick layers of the underground foundation, revealing the high-quality masonry used in its construction.

Significant Artifacts and Findings

The site is a “scatter field” of sacred and functional artifacts that confirm its identity as a religious center.

Artifact	Significance
Siripatula Gala	A “Buddha Footprint Stone,” used as a primary object of veneration before the widespread use of Buddha statues.
Padmasana	Fragments of a “Lotus Pedestal,” which would have served as the base for a statue within the Image House.
Korawakgala	A portion of a stone balustrade, typically found flanking the entrance stairs of sacred buildings.
Muragala	A fragment of a “Guard Stone,” currently held at the nearby 18th Army Sub-Detachment Camp for protection.

The presence of a Siripatula Gala alongside a Padmasana suggests the site may have transitioned through different eras of Buddhist worship or housed multiple shrines of varying styles.

Current State and Preservation

The site remains in a vulnerable condition. In addition to the fallen monolithic pillars and scattered stone slabs, archaeologists have found fragments of ancient clay pottery (redware and black-and-red ware) and weathered roofing tiles.

While the jungle has reclaimed much of Mavil Anga, the structural integrity of the pillar rows still offers a hauntingly clear silhouette of the great Image House that once stood as a spiritual beacon in the Vakarai forest.

Geographical Coordinates

The precise location of the site is as follows:

Latitude: 8° 15′ 22.4″ N
Longitude: 81° 20′ 36.9″ E

References

Exploration and Documentation Division (Ed.). (2017). පුරාවිද්යා ස්ථාන හඳුනා ගැනීමේ ගවේෂණ වාර්තාව, මඩකලපුව දිස්ත්රික්කය. Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka.

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