Rasnakawewa Gal Vihara Kanda Viharaya

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Horowpathana Rasnakawewa Gal Vihara Kanda Viharaya

Rasnakawewa Gal Vihara Kanda reveals an ancient monastery hidden within rugged rock formations, preserving rare inscriptions, stone architecture and sacred relics from the early Anuradhapura period. Explore a site where history, craftsmanship and forgotten heritage survive beneath centuries of change.

Rasnakawewa Gal Vihara Kanda is an ancient monastic complex located about 60 kilometers from the historic city of Anuradhapura, which served as Sri Lanka’s capital for more than two thousand years, beginning with the reign of King Pandukabhaya in the 4th century BCE.

Archaeologists believe that the inscriptions found at the site date to between 253 and 331 CE, spanning the reigns of King Gothabhaya (253–266 CE) and King Kirthi Sri Meghavanna (303–331 CE). Based on these inscriptions, the site’s original name is thought to have been Marapagiriya Viharaya, an evolved form of Moravapi.

The site is identified as a Rasnakawewa temple complex that thrived from the early Anuradhapura period until the fall of the kingdom. The surrounding landscape indicates that a sizeable community may once have lived near the monastery.

In recent times, significant modernization has altered the temple, causing damage to its archaeological features. Many of the original elements have been concealed beneath new constructions or scattered around the premises. The archaeological remains that can still be recognized include the following.

Pillar Foundation Stones (Pillar Bases)

Upon entering the temple grounds, the first visible features are the large stone foundation blocks. Each of these stones contains a deeply carved square socket, which would originally have held the wooden pillars that supported an ancient monastic structure.

Vajrasana

A Vajrasana or Diamond Throne, is also found within the site. This symbolic seat was traditionally used to represent the Buddha before the emergence of Buddha statues, and comparable examples can be seen at many monasteries across the North Central Province.

Stone Pond

A notable element at the entrance is a stone pond built from roughly finished stone blocks. Extending across about half an acre, this pond remains filled with water and is regarded as a symbol of prosperity. Although currently polluted, it was most likely used in the past for the daily needs of the monks who lived at the monastery.

Rock-Cut Staircase and Inscription

A set of steps carved directly into the natural bedrock leads upward to the higher terraced structures. Along this ascent runs a long inscription on 10 steps, making Rasnakawewa Viharaya the only known site where such an extensive text has been engraved on a natural rock staircase. (See below for more information on this inscription.)

Stupa and Siripatul Gala

At the top of the rock staircase lies the site of the ancient stupa. Although the original structure has not survived, a new stupa has been constructed over its remains, a restoration carried out by the Department of Archaeology during the 1980s. An ancient Siripatul Gala (Buddha’s footprint stone) is positioned beside this reconstructed stupa.

Cave Temple (Len Viharaya)

A short distance beyond the stupa lies a cave temple marked by a carved drip ledge. This space originally served as a monastic cave but is now used as a Devalaya. Over the years, the cave has undergone several modern modifications, altering its original appearance.

Other Features

An artistically carved stone pillar stands on the rock above the water channel located on the left side of the ascending pathway. This pillar is regarded as an excellent example of ancient stone craftsmanship. According to the resident monk, additional caves with drip ledges and cave inscriptions also exist within the complex, although these areas are presently difficult to reach.

The Rasnakawewa Rock Inscription

A
Si [|*] Dahanakara-ketahi Ida-karihi cetahi
Karaviti-ketahi Dubala-kubara karihi cetahi
Culaviyahi bojiya-patiya karihaka (ca) Varaca matarahi cetahi
B
Tojanahina-ketahi pidarieka-bitiya karihi cetahi
Tojanahahinaki Kora Nadakaha puta (Uti) tumaha=san apati dini
Marapagiriya-viharahi
C
Adula puta Buti umaha = sana pati viharahi dini
Tojanahahinakehi Matisaha ma(la) Pateja biku-sagaha atani catalasa kavana gati
tumaha = sana patidini vi[ha]rahi
D
Marapagariya ca Cuļaviya ca Abala-vasaya ca
Padavasaya ca Sarita Hamudaha puti Gu
-ta tumaha asana pati dini viharahi dini
E
Karavițiya-ketahi Valiyubara karihi ca bo-
jiya-patini nikata Marapagiriya-ketahi
Kaļa-kubara ca
F-G
Narila-kubara ca do-kirihi Mekavaņa Aba-
meta ca mata ca vihirahi dina hi
Dahanakara-ketahi Kabuba-kubara va boji-
ya-patini nikati Siviyataka Mahasi
yara amataha mata Vihikaviya vavi matira-
majibaka dini cetahi
H-I
Aba(da)varaņaya gama vasiya Muda-
mara Marapagiriya-viharahi
gilamini biku-sagah = atini sați kavaņa
ganiya [tu] maha = sanaya pati matira maji
[baka] dini Marapagariya-viharahi dini
J
Tabata-vasiya Mahida-ametaha vasaya Anula
Mahaviya-karaya Ala-
gadaka-vavi matira-majibaka dini

The inscription spans 10 steps along the central section of the pathway, having a total of 25 steps, and contains 29 lines written in the Later Brahmi script. To safeguard the text, a channel was cut into the rock above the staircase to divert rainwater.

The inscription records the names of several donors and the offerings they made, mainly land (karisa) and portions of revenue or fish, donated to the Caitya or the monastery of Marapagiriya. The characters are deeply incised and remain sharply visible even today. The first two lines extend beyond the carved steps onto the natural rock surface.

TRANSLATION
A. Hail! A karisa of land in the tract of fields Dahanakara is (of) the Caitya. The karisa of Dabalakubara in the tract of fields Karaviți is of the Caitya. A karisa of the overlord’s share in Cuļaviya and also in the channel of Varaca is of the Caitya.
B. A karisa of which the enjoyment of revenue in the form of pidari at one harvest in the tract of fields Tojanahina is of the Caitya.
Uti, son of Kora Nadaka, residing at Tojanahina, donated the share belonging to him, to the monastery of Marapagiriya.
C. Buti, son of Adula, donated the share belonging to him to the monastery.
Paheja, the younger brother of Mahātissa (residing) in Tojanahinaka, having received forty kahāpaņas from the hands of the Community, donated to the monastery the share belonging to him.
D. Gutta, son of Sarita Hamuda, donated the shares belonging to him in Morapagiriya and in Culaviya and in Abalavasaya and in Padavasaya (these were) donated to the monastery.
E-F2. The karîsa of field called Valiyubara in the tract of fields Karavițiya, the field named Kala kubara in the tract of fields named Marapagiriya, of which the share due to the overlord has been remitted, and the field Narila-kubara – these two karisas, have been donated to the monastery by the minister Meghavanņa Abhaya and his mother.
F3-G. The mother of the minister Siviyataka Mahasiyara, donated, Kabuba-kubara in the tract of fields named Dahanakara, having remitted the share due to the overlord of the field and the share of the fish caught in the channels, of Vihikaviya tank.
H-I. Mudamara, residing in the village Abadavaraņaya, having received from the hands of the Community of monks residing in the Marapagiriya monastery, the sum of sixty kahāpaņas, donated the income due to him, i.e. the income from the fish caught in the channels. ‘This has been donated to the monastery of Morapagiriya.
J. Anula, a retainer of the Minister Mahinda residing in Tabata, donated the share of the fish in the channels of Alagadaka tank in Mahaviya-karaya.

In addition to the above, three cave inscriptions written in early Brahmi script have been reported by Paranavitana in the 1st part of the Inscriptions of Ceylon series.

References

Abekumari, A. D., & Ekanayake, E. M. R. K. (2018). රස්නකවැව ගල් විහාර කන්ද විහාරයේ පුරාවිද්‍යාත්මක අංග පිළිබඳ විමර්ශනාත්මක අධ්‍යයනයක්. Third Undergraduate Research Symposium on Archaeology 2018, 140–143.
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. I. Department of Archaeology Ceylon.
Paranavitana, S. (2001). Inscriptions of Ceylon : Volume II Part II Containing Rock and Other Inscriptions From the Reign of Kanitthatissa (164-192, A. D.) to Mahasena (276-303, A . D .): Vol. II-Part II (M. Dias, Ed.). Archaeological Survey Department.

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