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To reach this location, you have to travel a short distance from the Sirimangalapura area on the Kantale-Seruwawila road towards the Sirimangalapura Wewa Reservoir. After passing the T-junction, you’ll travel about 1 km until you reach a small stream. After crossing the stream, you’ll travel another 300 meters and come to an electric fence. You’ll continue another 500 meters into the forest, where you will find this ruined temple. The ruins are located within the Somawathie Forest Reserve and belong to the Sirimangalapura 217/P Grama Seva division of the Seruwawila Divisional Secretariat.
This site is strong evidence that settlements and constructions in the Seruwila area continued to flourish until the Polonnaruwa period. While some of the artifacts found here date back to the Anuradhapura period, the central building was constructed in the gedige architectural style. It is the only ruined structure found in the Seruwawila area that can be identified as belonging to the Polonnaruwa period.
The well-preserved stone doorway and the walls on either side of the inner chamber of this gedige style building are still clearly visible. The structure faces east, and the extent of the brick walls on the southern side can be clearly identified. The outer walls, which are about 56 cm thick, once formed a circular structure, but the back part of the inner chamber has been destroyed. The walls of the inner chamber, which are 1.10 meters long from front to back, are decorated with ornamental false columns.
The external decorative features of the walls are most evident on the two walls on either side of the doorway. The building is at least 23 meters long. The stone-framed doorway measures 1.65 by 0.9 meters. The bricks used for this construction, which are likely from the Polonnaruwa period, measure 30 x 18 x 4 cm (length x width x height). A sand-mixed mortar was used for construction, and the walls are about 75 cm thick. The architectural features of this building are similar to those of the No. 1 Shiva Devalaya and the Thivanka Pilimage in Polonnaruwa. The wall with the doorway is about 1 meter high, and the inner upper part was constructed as a ceiling using stone slabs.
Near the building, there is a stone foundation with a padmapitha (lotus pedestal). This was likely the padmasana gala where a standing statue was erected. The site also contains many stone pillars, each about 1.8 meters long and 0.2 meters wide. These pillars are finely crafted and decorated with moldings. Stone slabs with linear, simple carvings that were used for door lintels are also found at the site.
About 3 meters to the northeast of the building, you can identify a rectangular well constructed with bricks from the Polonnaruwa period. It measures about 70 x 75 cm. The well was constructed with four stone slabs that have linear carvings.
The walls of this building must have been built very high, but they later collapsed or were destroyed. The bricks from the walls are piled up at the base. About 300 meters east of this site, stone pillars and slabs have been recently collected in one place. Also, about 150 meters from this ruined building, there is a pond-like area with a surrounding elevated, semicircular embankment.
This temple was likely constructed during the Anuradhapura period, and a new temple in the gedige style was built during the Polonnaruwa period. It may have remained an important Buddhist place of worship during both the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa periods. However, historical sources suggest that Tamil people lived in these areas around the Dambadeniya period. It’s possible that a kovil (Hindu temple) was also built at this site during that time. Therefore, a proper archaeological excavation is needed to accurately define the site.
The site is currently designated as an archaeological monument.
Also See
Map of Somanuwara Sirimangalapura Gedige Archaeological Site
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Travel Directions to Somanuwara Sirimangalapura Gedige Archaeological Site
| From Trincomalee to Somanuwara Sirimangalapura Gedige Archaeological Site |
| Via: Kinniya – Muthur – Somapura Total distance: 70 km Duration: 1.30 hours Travel time: Approximately 30 minutes Driving directions: See on Google Maps |
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