Mullikulamalai Monastery Ruins

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The rock formation ion which the Mullikulamali monastery at Adalachchenai is situated
Image courtesy of Dr. Ashan Geeganage

Once a great monastery of Bikkhunis, The Mullikulamalai monastery stands abandoned, destroyed and desecrated amidst the jungles that covers the ruins today.

Situated miles away from Deegawapiya the Batuwawu Kanda or Mullikulamalai (Mullikulammalai) is an unassuming rocky mountain the tallest middle of a three peak mountain range. Yet the climb upwards amidst towering rock boulders reveals a stone stairway leading upwards towards the stone foundation of a building, which stands no more.

On the second peak is a stupa, destroyed by treasure hunters and another stone stairway leads to two large dripledged caves and a meditation pavilion. The inscription near the stairway records that it was built by a minister called ‘Sidham’ while the caves carry no inscription.

On Eastern face of the mountain are more drip edged caves, which are been destroyed with dynamite. The inscriptions within these caves speaks of no other than Viharamaha Devi, the legendary queen of King Kawanthissa and the mother of Great King Dutugamunu and his brother King Saddatissa .

The inscriptions found within the cave at the Batuwawu Kanda speaks of a cave built for a person known as ‘Shavera’, similar to the Madanakanda inscriptions, yet at this stage she is identified as a ‘Shamaniya’ or a Bikkhuni, who is also the mother of the Eastern province ruler and the daughter of Maha-Tissa. Thus the inscription at this dripledged cave, which is being destroyed by religious extremists, is the only clue to the last years of a great Queen of Sri Lankan history.

Source : srilanka.travel

This site has been declared an protected archaeological site by the Government with the Gazette issued on 26th December 2014, and describes the location as follows ;

“Rock plane with ancient signs (signs of a mortar) and rock plane with evidences of ancient buildings belonging to Kuduwil village situated in Grama Niladhari Division No. 5-2-34-005-07, Irakkamam in the Divisional Secretary’s Division, Eragama (Irakkamam) in Ampara District in Eastern Province. (Latitude 07º16´ 09´´ N and longitude 81º49´ 20´´ E).”

The vandalized stupa at the Mullikulamali monastery at Adalachchenai

Base holes dug in to the rock where buildings stood at the Mullikulamali monastery at Adalachchenai

View from the top of the Mullikulamali monastery at Adalachchenai

Steps cut in to the rock surface at Mullikulamali monastery at Adalachchenai

extension of the Mullikulamali monastery at Adalachchenai

Part of the monastry blasted away with dynamite at Mullikulamali monastery at Adalachchenai

Drip ledge caves with aboriginal painting at Mullikulamali monastery at Adalachchenai

Mother and child aboriginal painting in cave walls at Mullikulamali monastery at Adalachchenai

Aboriginal painting in cave walls at Mullikulamali monastery at Adalachchenai

Ancient inscriptions cave walls at Mullikulamali monastery at Adalachchenai

Ancient inscriptions near stairs at Mullikulamali monastery at Adalachchenai

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Map of the Mullikulamalai Monastery Ruins

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