Hidden deep within the jungle beside the Iratperiyakulam Reservoir, a British-built survey tower rises atop an ancient monastic hill. Cut grooves, caves with drip ledges, and lost inscriptions reveal a forgotten Buddhist complex waiting to be rediscovered amid the wilderness.
Directly across from the present-day Rankethgama Viharaya stands a prominent, elevated rock slab. Atop this slab, a weathered stupa (a Dhatu Chaitya) can be seen from afar, though now in a dilapidated state. At the base of the rock, the remnants of a vast brick structure are clearly visible.
Parker in 1909 describes an ancient amuna known as “Allekattu” in Tamil, located across the Kalaru River, which originates from the Pavatkulama Wewa reservoir and serves as one of the main tributaries to the Malwathu Oya in the Northern Province. The dam is situated approximately 2 miles (about 3 km) upstream from the Kalaru bridge on the Mannar-Medawachchiya road. Brohier refers to this weir as “Allekattu Tekkam.”
Among the ruins, you will find remains of a building with 17 standing pillars and one fallen. A pillar inscription lies fallen on the ground. A mound covered in jungle weed had been a stupa in ancient times. The Stupa mound is 8 meters in diameter and about 5 meters in height. The pillar inscription is written in Medieval Sinhalese Script and has been dated to 4th-8th centuries.
Kanakarayamkulama (Kanakarayamkulam) is a small town on the Vavuniya – Jaffna road, 33 kilometers from Vavuniya town. Based on the evidence, there has been a large Buddhist Monastery in existence since the 4th century CE. One ancient Image house has been converted to a Kovil by the late 1800’s.
Ullukkulam (ancient Olu Kulama, Ullukkulama) Stone Bridge over a tributary of Kal Aru near Ullukkulam reservoir. With the expansion of the Ullukkulam Wewa reservoir in 1896, a concrete dam was built destroying this stone bridge. However, parts of this bridge can still be seen near this concrete dam. Both the stone bridges seem to have been built before these ancient reservoirs were built
There is no doubt that the Pawathkulama Mahaulukwewa (Periya Ulukkulam) Archaeological Site is a place with a history that stretches back to the early Anuradhapura period. In one place of the rock, there is an ancient stupa, now resembling a rather large mound. It has been dug up and destroyed by treasure hunters. Another similar small mound is found elsewhere and a small structure has been built to light lamps.
The ruins of Awaranthulawa lie on a large rocky plain. The key artefact of the site is the fairly large stupa at a high point of the rock. Now resembling a mound of stone covered by grass this is about 8 feet in height today. In addition, the site is scattered with pillar bases, lamp stones, pillars and large bricks with curved surfaces. The rocky plain has about 7 rock ponds at various places. A large pond lies at one end of the rock.
Pavatkulama Stone Bridge were first disclosed by Lewis in the late 1800s J.P. Lewis. It was 200 or 300 ft. long and was raised upon piers of substantial stone posts. It crossed the stream which flowed from the southern low-level sluice and kalingula. The road which passes over it still goes by the name of the Mawata, “the high road,” although the ends of the bridge are hidden in dense jungle. ‘The people say that this was a main road from Anuradhapura to Jaffna, possibly by way of Upatissa-Nuwara
At Nelukkulam (Nelukkulama) site, you find a stupa mound and ruins of 2 buildings. The stupa mound was 30 feet in height and stood on a square platform. This stupa has been desecrated by the installation of a lance on a concrete block on the summit of the Stupa by a Hindu Devotee as reported in the 1980s.
Bogaswewa Ruins are located in a chena cultivated by the villagers of Bogaswewa. The ruins are found at a higher elevation. The villagers have separated this area for worshipping. A structure 24′ x 20′ with 10 upright pillars and 20 in lying position is seen here. A Sri Pathula gala lies by a side. There is a dilapidated stupa, 40′ radius and 18′ in height.
Ruins of a stupa and an image house lie on the land at the edge of the of the Thandikulam reservoir 2km from Vavuniya town. Status unknown.
The Paranaddakal ruins recorded by the Archaeology Department is most probably already lost to a new Kovil built on this site.
Ruins of a dagoba. About ¾ of the dagoba have been damaged in the interests of enlarging the paddy field. Stone slabs and pillars of buildings are half hidden in the jungle cover.
This archaeology site in Samankulam is group of ruins with a stupa going through a gradual destruction by the Hindu Kovil, which is built on the ruins. The Kovil itself has been built using the bricks of this ancient stupa, destroying part of it.
Ancient Kailabe Monastery complex is spread over an area of more than 10 acres and is considered to belong to the era of the Anuradhapura Kingdom. You can identify a stupa mound and more than 15 buildings / mounds and 2 ponds in these ruins. Items such as the sacred foot stones (Siri Pathul Gala),
Seven stone inscriptions and ruins of stupas, image houses, Bodhigaras and Buddha statues including one made of marble has been unearthing during excavations ruins. One inscription on a drip ledge of a cave has been as “Batha Giri Thisaha Lene” meaning the “Cave of the Girithissa Thera”.
Ruins of this aramic complex lies surrounding a rocky outcrop rising to about 300 feet from ground off Nedunkeni. Considering the number of smaller abandoned reservoirs in the surrounding area, a thriving Buddhist community has been living in this area supporting this temple complex from 1-3rd century BC.
Sapumalgaskada is an ancient aramic complex now lying in middle of the virgin shrub jungle off Kalebogaswewa. According to legend, the tooth relic of Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka from the port of Lankapatuna in Trincomalee and the procession had traveled though Sapumalgaskada on its way to Anuradhapura.
Pavakkulama Reservoir is the largest ancient reservoir found in Vavuniya district. According to a notice board installed by the Irrigation Department, Its embankment is 10,364 feet (3.2 km) long and has a gross capacity of 27,000 acre feet (33 million cubic meters).
