Thonigala Inscriptions at Anamaduwa (තෝනිගල සෙල්ලිපිය – ආනමඩුව)

56 years ago11 months ago04 mins

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(9 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)

There are several places called Thonigala (Tonigala) in Sri Lanka. Two of them have the same historical significance. One of the Thonigala is located on the Vavuniya-Horowpathana Road, which is famed for the rock inscription that describes a banking system during the 4th century.

Thonigala in Anamaduwa is also popular for the inscriptions found on the rock and the folklore surrounding the rock and Kuweni (කුවේණි), the local queen of Vijaya.

Said to be the largest inscription, the two inscriptions on the rock are about 100 feet long, and each letter is about 1 foot in height and carved about 1 inch deep into the rock.

Henry Parker has given a detailed description of the inscriptions of the Rock in “Ancient Ceylon.”

“There are two other inscriptions near the same hill, both on a low rock called Thonigala, the Boat Rock, at the side of a small tank, Galawaewa, the Rock tank. Their cutting is by far the boldest of any inscriptions in Ceylon. Each is about 100 feet long, with excellently chiselled and quite upright letters a foot high and cut an inch deep in the rock. ……….”

These inscriptions belong to the period of King Mahaculi Mahathissa (76-62 BCE) son of King Vattagamini Abaya (Walagamba). The inscriptions speak of grants made to a Buddhist monastery and are considered an important instance of the origin of Sinhala letters. This monastery is believed to be the Pramakanda Monastery, which is located on another rock formation close by.

It’s said that the steel fence around the inscription put up by the Department of Archaeology a few years ago has now become corroded and the cement that was used to fix the fence to the rock has caused discoloration of the ancient inscription.

The rock itself is buried deep in folklore. It’s said that this area is the homeland of Kuweni (කුවේණි), the queen of the Daemon Tribe. Once the Vijaya chased away Kuweni (කුවේණි) she fled to her ancestral home area and cursed Vijaya from the top of the Lathonigala which is a rock just before the Thonigala. The history states that Kuweni (කුවේණි) left her two children at the rock and came to the ancestral village alone, and her tribe members killed her for her betrayal of the clan. The current “Veddhas” (the indigenous hunters in the area) are believed to be the direct descendants of these children. But their folklore tells that the Kuweni (කුවේණි) committed suicide by jumping off the Lathonigala (literally meaning lamenting rock).

Two Inscriptions

[1] Parumaka Abaya puta parumaka Tisaha wapi acagirika Tisa pawatahi agata anagata catudisa sagasa
dine. Dewana pi maharaja Gamini Abaye niyate acanagaraka ca [tawi] rikiya nagaraka ca. Parumaka Abaya puta parumaka Tisa niyata pite rajaha agata anagata catudisa sagasa.

Translation: The tank of the parumaka Tisa, son of the parumaka Abhaya, at the mountain of Acagirika Tisa, is given to the priesthood of the four quarters, present and absent. The great king, beloved of the gods, Gamini Abhaya, ordered: Acanagara and Tawirikiyanagara, which have been established by my father, King Tisa, son of King Abhaya, [are given] to the priesthood of the four quarters, present and absent.

[2] Parumaka Abaya puta parumaka Tisa niyate. Ima wapi acagirika Tisa pawatahi agata anagata catudisa sagasa. Dewana piya maharaje Gamini Abaye niyate acanagaraka ca tawirikiya nagaraka ca acagirika Tisa pawatahi agata anagata catudisa sagasa. Parumaka Abaya puta parumaka Tisaha wisara niyate pite.

Translation: King Tisa, son of King Abhaya, ordered:—This tank at the Acagirika Tisa mountain is given to the priesthood of the four quarters, present and absent. The great king, beloved of the gods, Gamini Abhaya, ordered: Acanagara and Tawirikiya nagara [are given] to the priesthood in the four quarters present and absent. The tank of King Tisa, son of King Abhaya, is established by my father.

(Muller, 1883, pp. 73, 109)

Travel Directions to Tonigala

The turnoff for Thonigala is about 24 km from Puttlam on the Puttlam-Kurunegala Road. The left turn off is passing the town of Kottukachchiya between the 104 and 105 km posts. A signboard of the Department of Archaeology shows off the turnoff to the Thonigala. The location lies about 300 meters from the Puttlam-Kurunegala Road.

References

Muller, E. (1883). Ancient inscriptions in Ceylon (1st ed.). Trubner & Co, Ludgate Hill.

Also See

Map of the Thonigala Inscriptions at Anamaduwa

Click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map

Show Location on Google Maps

The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.

Travel Directions to Thonigala Inscriptions at Anamaduwa

Route from Colombo to Tonigala Inscription

Through : Negambo – Chilaw – Anamaduwa
Distance : 134 km
Travel time : 2.5 hours
Driving directions : see on google map

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Pullavi Jungle Buddhist Monastic Ruins (3) in Kayankerni (කායංකේණි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන් – 3)
The Pullavi Jungle Ruins (3) in Kayankerni are an early Anuradhapura-period Buddhist monastery complex. Despite treasure-hunting damage, the forested site preserves carved foundation stones, stone pillars, a mortised doorway slab, and balustrade fragments. It represents one of three interconnected yet distinct monastic centers in the area. […]
Pullavi Jungle Buddhist Monastic Ruins (1) in Kayankerni (කායංකේණි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන් – 1)
The Pullavi Monastic Ruins (Site 1) in Kayaṅkerni, Vakare, is an Anuradhapura-period complex lying in the dry zone forest bounded by wetlands and the sea. It features a 75-meter-long stone enclosure wall containing building foundations, broken in-situ pillars, and scattered moonstones. […]
Palayadiodei Buddhist Monastic Ruins (2) in Vakare (පාලයඩිඕඩෙයි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන් – 2)
The Palayadiodei-2 ruins in Vakarai are an Anuradhapura-era monastery featuring a looted hilltop stupa, a stone-floored building linked by an ancient path, stone pillars, and a rock pool. Quartz flakes also indicate prehistoric tool-making at the site. […]
Palayadiodei Buddhist Monastic Ruins (1) in Vakare (පාලයඩිඕඩෙයි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන් – 1)
Located in Vakarai, the Palayadiodei site is an Anuradhapura-era monastery set on a high rocky hill. Overlooking two reservoirs, it contains a cave with a 10-meter-high drip ledge hidden by dense jungle, alongside circular brick layers on the summit that form the foundation of an ancient stupa. […]
Archaeological Ruins Near Kokuvil Tamil School in Vakare (වාකරේ කොකුවිල් දෙමළ පාසැල අසළ පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
The site near Kokuvil Tamil School in Mankerni indicates an Anuradhapura-era complex of significant size now disappeared forever. With new residential developments, the site has been completely bulldozed and destroyed, leaving only stone pillar bases scattered around various gardens. […]
Madurankeni Paddy Field Archaeological Ruins (මදුරංකේණි කුඹුර ආශ්‍රිත පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
The Madurankeni paddy field ruins near Kunjankulam are an Anuradhapura-era site featuring an intact foundation of a small ancient structure. Located within a highly developed agricultural landscape, the survival of these foundation pillars offers clear evidence of early historical settlements tied to local water and farming systems. […]
Madurankeni Watagala Buddhist Monastic Ruins (මදුරංකේණි වටගල බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Watagala Monastery Ruins are an extensive early Anuradhapura-period complex in Vakare. It features a large hilltop stupa, 13 ruined structures—including a unique circular or octagonal building—and three natural rock pools. The site has faced treasure-hunting damage at all structures. […]
Aththiyawadical Rock Buddhist Monastic Ruins (ආත්තියාවඩිකල් පර්වත බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Aththiyawadical Rock Monastery is an Anuradhapura-era complex featuring a hilltop stupa, stone staircase, and residential building foundations. Key artifacts include a damaged Buddha statue fragment, grinding cavities, and a secluded rock pool. A sacred footprint stone and moonstone from the site were later relocated nearby. […]
Rendamvayikkal Paddy Field Archaeological Ruins (රෙන්ඩාම්වයික්කාල් පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
Located near the Kunjankalkulama Reservoir, this Anuradhapura-era complex features a 10x10 m rectangular structure with sixteen short stone pillars. Despite paddy cultivation encroachment and unauthorized digging, ancient grinding stones and conical-shaped cavities on the rocks suggest a settlement related to early hydraulic civilization. […]
Kunjankalkulama Wewa Reservoir (කුංජන්කල්කුළම වැව)
The Kunjankalkulama Wewa is a 125-hectare ancient reservoir in Vakarai dating to the Early Anuradhapura Period. It served as the hydraulic heart of a vast religious and residential landscape, supplying water to nearby monastic complexes and early agrarian settlements. […]
Bimpokuna Buddhist Monastic Ruins (බිම්පොකුණ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Bimpokuna site in Vakare is an early Anuradhapura-era forest monastery centered on a rocky outcrop. Despite treasure-hunting damage, it preserves a stone-slab stupa, a ruined image house with pillar bases, a circular pedestal, and a stone-walled building complex. […]
Kunjankalkulama Buddhist Monastic Ruins (කුංජන්කල්කුළම් වනය තුළ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Kunjankalkulama Archaeological Site, located in Madurankulama, preserves the remains of an ancient Buddhist monastic complex dating to the Early Anuradhapura Period. The site and its built environment have suffered extensive destruction and disturbance over time due to its remoteness. […]
Nagamalai Buddhist Monastic Ruins (නාගමලෙයි වනය තුළ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
Located in Vakarai, this Anuradhapura-era Buddhist complex features a large stupa and numerous stone pillars. Despite severe treasure-hunting damage, the site preserves 30 brick layers and fragments of a potential Stupaghara. Nearby rock quarries show original ancient stone-cutting marks. […]
Buddhist Monastic Ruins in Ominiyamadu Jungle (ඕමිනියාමඩු වනය තුළ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
Located in the Ominiyamadu Forest, this Anuradhapura-era site features a small rectangular building marked by four surviving stone pillars. Despite significant central disturbance from treasure hunters, the intact pillar bases provide evidence of an early monastery deep within the Madurankulama forest. […]
Buddhist Monastic Ruins at Ammaltherodinawatta Forest (අම්මාල්තේරෝඩිනවට්ට කැලය තුළ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Ruins of a dilapidated stupa, a muti storied building and ancient ponds located within the Ammaltherodinawatta Forest in Madurankeni, represent the remains of an early Buddhist religious complex dating to the early Anuradhapura period. […]
Pullavi Jungle Buddhist Monastic Ruins (2) in Kayankerni (කායංකේණි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන් – 2)
The Pullavi Jungle Monastic Ruins (Site 2) in Kayankerni spans 25 acres and dates to the Anurādhapura period. It features five building sites surrounded by a stone wall, including a well-preserved northern structure with ten pillars arranged in three rows. […]
Ihala Kotuwella Ambalama in Pannala (පන්නල ඉහළ කොටුවැල්ල අම්බලම)
Ihala Kotuwella Ambalama in Pannala is a simple ambalama lying near a large paddy field by a water steam adjoining the Kotuwella road. Its a brick and mortar square building with half walls. The half walls would have been used as benches as there is no seating inside the Ambalama. […]
Ruins of Allirani Fort in Arasapuram, Kilinochchi (අරිසපුරම් අල්ලිරානි කොටුව නටබුන්)
Ruins found at Arasapuram are believed to be ruins of a fort of Queen Allirani by the locals. However, no formal archaeological excavation has been done on this site. These ruins most probably belonged to an ancient monastery built millennia ago. […]
A Ride Through the Historic Hamilton Canal (Dutch Canal)
Connecting Colombo to Puttalam, the Hamilton Canal was initiated by the Portuguese for flood control. Later expanded by the Dutch for spice transport, it was reconstructed in 1804 by the British. Today, it is a popular destination for scenic boat rides and kayaking. […]
Negombo Lellama Fish Market: An Explosion of Colours
The Negombo Fish Market (Lellama) is a vibrant and busy center of commercial activity located in the coastal city of Negombo, Sri Lanka. The market is known for its energetic atmosphere and the extensive variety of fresh seafood available for sale. […]
Mihintale Slab Inscriptions and the Relic House (4වන මිහිඳු රජුගේ මිහින්තලේ පුවරු ලිපි)
The inscription of King Mahinda IV belonging to the tenth century, is installed on the two sides of the entrance to this Vihara. The relic house is a square building. […]
Dambegoda Pillar Inscription in Maligawila (දඹේගොඩ ටැම් ලිපිය)
Discovered in 1982, the Dambegoda Pillar Inscription is a 3.8-meter-tall monument dating to 966 CE. Attributed to King Mahinda IV, its 139 lines narrate royal religious activities and administrative regulations. Though incomplete and roughly engraved, it remains a vital record of tenth-century Buddhist governance. […]