As you travel passing Wenappuwa towards Puttalam on the Colombo – Puttalam road, one of the landmarks that no one misses is the Devalaya with a giant white horse in a jumping position facing away from the road popularly known as the Thaniwella Devalaya (Thaniwelle Devalaya).
Murukkuwatawana is a remote village lying on the Tabbowa – Miyellawa road surrounded by jungle from all four sides. The ancient temple complex at Murukkuwatawana lies at the center of a large rocky outcrop adjoining the village.
Mullegama Mulgirigala Rajamaha Viharaya is an ancient cave temple with inscriptions recording donations to maha sanga which has been dated to 1st – 3rd centuries BC.
The Tabbowa Wewa (also written as Thabbowa, Thabbova, Tabbova) is a ancient irrigation system in the Mee (Mi) Oya basin, constructed by damming the Nanneri Oya, a major tributary of the Mee Oya , The tank is believed to be built by King Kawantissa.
Thinapitiya Tampita Viharaya (Tinapitiya Tampita Viharaya) is a temple built on pillars hidden away in Madampe and overshadowed by more popular Thaniwella Devalaya by the main road.
Sri Vishuddharamaya in Dikwela is an ancient temple with a Tampita Viharaya built during the era of the Kandyan kingdom. Unfortunately this Tampita Viharaya has been modernized losing all its architectural and historical value. Only the granite pillars seems to be of the original viharaya.
Karambewa is a remote village lying between Alankulama and Siyambalewa in Anamaduwa. Sri Sudarshanarama Purana Viharaya in Karambewa is an ancient temple with a Tampita Viharaya built during the era of the Kandyan kingdom.
Mahawewa Sri Nagarama Purana Viharaya is an ancient temple with a Tampita Viharaya built during the era of the Kandyan kingdom which lies between Marawila and Chilaw
The two storied Tampita Viharaya at Kottukachchiya Bodhirukkharamaya is built on 16 stone pillars with a average height of 5 feet. Six more 5 feet 8 inch high pillars made of cement has been added at a later date.
Wilandagoda Archeological site lies on the boarders of Wippattu where King Dutugemunu’s only son, hid after eloping with Asokamala, his low-caste yet breathtakingly beautiful woman.
The Ariyagama sacred area located on the banks of the Deduru Oya in Mugunuwatawana in Chilaw is also known as Nariyagama Veherakele. The Ariyagama sacred area located on the banks of the Deduru Oya in Mugunuwatawana in Chilaw is also known as Nariyagama Veherakele. A portion of the Dagoba, which was located near the bank of the river had been submerged.
Ihala Puliyankulama Veheragala Rajamaha Viharaya (Weheragala Rajamaha Viharaya) is an ancient Buddhist temple developed in the pre christian times in the Puttalam District close to the Wilpattu National Park.
Hidden deep within Wilpattu’s wild heart lies Galge Viharaya—an ancient monastery carved into stone and legend. Caves, stupas, and inscriptions whisper tales from over 2,000 years ago, offering a rare glimpse into Sri Lanka’s early Buddhist heritage, now cloaked in the forest’s quiet embrace.
Ochchappu Kallu is a ancient buddhist monastery lying inside Wilpattu National Park now in Ruins. The ruins consists of ancient natural and man made drip ledge caves and large amount of ruins.
Step into the ancient legends of Sri Lanka where myth meets history. Deep within Wilpattu’s wilderness lie mysterious ruins believed to be Queen Kuweni’s palace—remnants of a forgotten past that whisper tales of love, betrayal, and the island’s earliest beginnings.
Galhatha consists of ancient monastic ruins belonging to 1st century BC. Large number of dripledge caves and remains of stupas can be found. No archeological study has been done on the site yet.
Travelling along the Puttlam Anuradhapura road passing Tabbowa Wewa and 3 more kilometres along this route, you will come across a road to the right. Take this road for a kilometre to reach these forgotten ruins. This road runs across the ancient holy ground bisecting the area. The ruins lie along the road on both sides.
Anawilundawa Sanctuary consist of interconnected 9 tanks going back to the 12th century and sadly the water ways which fed this system is lost without an trace and today these tanks are fed by flood waters of the Deduru Oya
Discovered in the 1920s, the Pomparippu site contains approximately 8,000 urn burials, representing the remains of approximately 10,000–12,000 individuals, illustrating a highly developed Iron Age culture. Featuring unique Black-and-Red Ware and metal jewelry, the site suggests a possible ancestral blend of Sinhalese, Dravidian, and Vedda people.
Thonigala in Anamaduwa is popular for the massive Thonigala inscriptions found on the rock and the folklore surrounding the rock and Kuweni (කුවේණි), the local queen of Vijaya.
