Hidden within the dense jungles of the Padaviya region, Ashwaya Bandi Kanda—literally “the hill where the horse was tied”—is another prominent hill at Padaviya containing extensive monastic ruins. Although its present name stems from British-era folklore, epigraphic evidence confirms the site’s historical identity as Girikantaka Maha Vihara.
Discover Ihala Kalawella Ulpatha, a hidden archaeological gem deep in the Anuradhapura jungles, where ancient cist burials, early iron technology, and layers of human history reveal how Sri Lanka’s first farming communities lived, engineered stone, and shaped the island over 2,500 years ago.
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.
Hidden within the village of Hunupola lies the ancient Kandegama Rajamaha Viharaya, a cave temple that preserves rare paintings, sculptures, and inscriptions dating back over two millennia. Step inside to witness echoes of the Anuradhapura and Kandyan eras, now carefully conserved against time’s decay.
Hidden within Otthappuwa Galadivul Wela in Anuradhapura, this ancient temple—believed to date back to King Devanampiya Tissa—preserves echoes of Sri Lanka’s earliest Buddhist art. Its rare Heap-of-Paddy stupa form, Kandyan-era paintings, and weathered footprint stones statues whisper stories from over two millennia of devotion.
Amid the sacred landscape of Anuradhapura, the ancient Siva Kovil near Abhaya Wewa stands in silent ruin. Once crafted from finely dressed granite with classic Hindu architecture, much of its splendor now lives on in the nearby Pillaiyar Kovil, where its relics and the original Shiva Lingam remain preserved.
Tucked away near the Avukana Buddha, Namalu Sinhagiri Viharaya reveals echoes of an ancient monastery where kings once dwelled. Scattered ruins, lion-carved water spouts, and timeless stonework on the Kahalla mountain slopes whisper tales of devotion, craftsmanship, and royal grandeur lost to time.
Hidden by paddy fields near Anuradhapura, Chethiyagiri Rajamaha Viharaya reveals a silent world of ancient stonework and sacred art. Its weathered stupas, inscriptions, and rare footprint stones whisper stories from the 1st century CE—echoes of a monastery that once flourished on Sri Lanka’s timeless plains.
Padhanaghara complexes were used by the meditating monks and are located away from the cities and human settlements. Padhanaghara are built in a unique architectural style with a moat surrounding them. Quite often these structures were built as twin structures on a rocky outcrop surrounded by the moat.
Hidden deep within the jungles of Kahatagasdigiliya in the Anuradhapura District, the Kohombagaskada Devagiri Rajamaha Viharaya rests on the ruins of a monastery that flourished more than a thousand years ago. Scattered across the temple grounds are stone stumps with delicate carvings and other ancient artifacts.
At the summit of Dematagala’s rocky outcrop lies the remains of a stupa mound. In 2025, archaeological excavations were undertaken here, revealing the platform base of the stupa and the original ancient structure situated at its center. Evidence suggests that a newer stupa was constructed around the original.
Excavations uncovered a variety of grave types, including rectangular cist graves sealed with large stone slabs, rare square cists without capstones, and an exceptionally uncommon form—parallel double orthostats—documented for the first time in Sri Lanka.
About 13 kilometers north of Padaviya, in Padavi Sripura, lies this site of important archaeological value—the area surrounding Olugama Wewa. This site contains ruins dating back to the Anuradhapura Kingdom, though it remains largely overlooked and under-researched.
Galbendi Neeravia is situated northeast of the Maradanmaduwa tank and is surrounded by thick jungle. About ten acres of the forest is straddled with granite foundations eight feet square, symmetrically sited over the area in groups of five. In a central spot stands the foundation of a more elaborate structure.
Nai Pena Guhava is a prominent rock complex located within Wilpattu National Park and can be accessed via the Kala Oya Beat Office. Among its notable archaeological features is a ruined stupa, now heavily damaged by treasure hunters. The stupa originally measured approximately 60 meters in circumference and stood around 3 meters in height.
Maha Andaragollewa Wewa is an ancient and now-ruined reservoir situated near the eastern boundary of Wilpattu National Park. On a rock outcrop at the reservoir’s bund, an archaeological site was discovered, featuring remnants such as a foundation stone, a square-shaped stone block, and scattered brick fragments. Two natural rocky pools can also be seen on the same outcrop.
Tammannawala (also spelled Thammannawala) site contains the remains of a stupa, stone pillars, foundation stones, and brick fragments. The ruined stupa has a circumference of approximately 55 meters, with a 2-meter-deep pit dug into its center by treasure hunters. The surviving stone pillars, ranging in height from 1.2 to 3 meters, suggest they once supported multiple structures of varying sizes.
Deiyyanne Kanda is located adjacent to the reservoir bund. Explorations carried out regarding this rock mountain covered in forest are very rare. However, in 1969, L.A. Adithya published an important scholarly article regarding his research on Deiyyanne Kanda in the journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.
Historical photographs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries depict several large statues surrounding the Ruwanweli Maha Seya stupa. Among them are standing Buddha statues and two figures believed to represent ancient kings.
The most remarkable archaeological feature of the Thalapathkulama Wewa Reservoir area is the stone carving of a Naga and Nagini with seven cobra hoods located at the upper edge of the tank. This carving is believed to be a symbolic marker of the ancient tank.
