Heritage

Ruins of Piyangala North Rajamaha Viharaya in kurulupettagala

56 years ago2 years ago02 mins

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Ruins of Piyangala North Rajamaha Viharaya in Kurulupeththagala

In the Nochchiyagama area lies the historically significant ancient monastery known as Galadivulwewa Kurulupettagala Rajamaha Viharaya (Piyangala North Rajamaha Viharaya).

The Kurulupettagala Rajamaha Viharaya is considered to have been constructed by King Bhatika Abhaya, who ruled between 20 BCE and 7 CE. It was offered to the 500 Arahants, including the Maha Arahant Dammadinna. The meditation cells and walking paths used by the Arahants are still visible at this Viharaya.

The site features the remains of three out of five main stupas, a main stupa surrounded by four smaller stupas. In front of the Viharaya lies a beautiful rock plain extending over approximately five acres. In the middle of this rock plain is a pond that is believed never to dry up, and it is called “Kurulu Pettagala” due to the presence of a golden parrot seen in the middle of the pond.

Legend has it that there is a tunnel from the bottom of the pond leading to the Viharaya building.

The Viharaya is located in a rock cave with a roof resembling a stone slab, containing statues of the reclining Buddha and images of the eighty Arahants.

Since it was constructed within a rock cave with a roof resembling a stone slab, the Viharaya was also known as Piyangala Rajamaha Viharaya. To the south of this site, there was another similar Viharaya, referred to as Uttara Piyangala Viharaya, discovered by Professor Senarath Paranavithana in 1950. Many devotees also refer to Kurulupettagala Viharaya as “Little Dambulla.”

Piyangala North Rajamaha Viharaya in Kurulupeththagala

View from the top of the rock at Piyangala North Rajamaha Viharaya in Kurulupeththagala

Also See

Map of Ruins of Piyangala North Rajamaha Viharaya in Kurulupeththagala

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.

Travelling Directions to Ruins of Piyangala North Rajamaha Viharaya in Kurulupeththagala

Puttalam to Kurulupettagala North Piangala Rajamaha Viharaya ruins

Via : Saliyawewa
Total Distance : 61 Kms
Time to travel: 1.15 Hours
TIme to spend: 1-1 ½ Hours
Driving Directions : View on Google Map

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Muruthtthanai Cave with Indigenous Art (මුරුත්තානෛ ආදිවාසී චිත්‍ර සහිත ලෙණ)
Deep in the Kiran jungle, this cave features a Brahmi inscription documenting its donation to the Maha Sangha. It also houses well-preserved animal rock art from a later period, believed to have been created by the region’s indigenous Vedda community. […]
Muruthtthanai Buddhist Stupa Ruins in Kiran (මුරුත්තානෛ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Muruthtthanai Stupa in Kiran is a 5-meter-high brick monument hidden on a wooded hillock. Plundered by treasure hunters who dug a deep summit pit, the site also includes an ancient rock quarry used for shaping stone architectural elements. […]
Akkuranai Buddhist Monastic Ruins in Kiran (අක්කුරානයි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Akkuraṇai Monastic Ruins in Kiran feature a central circular stupa surrounded by terraces, multi-sized pillared structures, and drip-ledged caves. Severely damaged by treasure hunters, the site retains a 2-meter carved flower altar, brick foundations with mortised stone doorframes, and shattered sacred chatra fragments. […]
Miniminiththaweli Archaeological Site 2 in Kiran (මිනිමිණිත්තවේලි පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය 2)
The Maduru Oya Valley site in Miniminiththāweli features an Anurādhapura-period building complex with stone pillars and brick foundations. Unfortunately, illegal excavations by treasure hunters have severely damaged these structures, though they have also exposed various ancient artifacts and pottery. […]
Miniminiththaweli Archaeological Site 1 in Kiran (මිනිමිණිත්තවේලි පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The Anurādhapura-era Miniminiththāweli site 1 in Kiran features a historic building complex heavily damaged by forest gravel road construction. This development destroyed the site's archaeological context and displaced ancient artifacts, including a stone-carved flower altar bulldozed to the roadside. […]
Mavil Aru Amuna and the Reservoir : A Landmark for Resiliency of the People of Sri Lanka
Mavil Aru Amuna was a turning point for the LTTE, a ruthless terrorist organization responsible for thousands of deaths of Sri Lankan citizens. The operation to release LTTE grip on this sluice gate turned in to a full scale operation which saw the military defeat of the terrorist organization in 2009. […]
Kurangukodipottamale Drip Ledge Cave (කුරන්ගුකොඩිපෝට්ටමලේ කටාරම් සහිත ගුහාව)
Located in Kadiraweli, this Anuradhapura-era cave features early Brahmi inscriptions and drip ledges, marking it as a significant monastic dwelling. Despite its historical value, the site faces severe threats from unauthorized excavations and commercial quarrying in the Vakarai region. […]
Mavil Anga Nikkanawewa Reserve Archaeological Ruins (මාවිල් අංග නික්කාන වැව රක්ෂිතය පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
The Nikkanawewa ruins in Vakarai mark an Anuradhapura-era monastic complex. Situated on a rocky outcrop, the site preserves stone pillar bases, ancient bricks, a urinal stone fragment, and terrace remains, confirming its past as a secluded Buddhist forest monastery. […]
Sri Maha Bodhi :The sacred Bo-Tree of Buddhist World (ශ්‍රී මහා බෝධිය)
After bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka by Mahinda Thero in 250 BC king Tissa received the Sri Maha Bodhi tree sapling and planted it at the present site in 249 BC making this tree 2272 year old (as in 2022). […]
Rediscovering Mavil Anga: An Anuradhapura-Era Image House in Vakarai (කල්ලරිප්පු මාවිල් අංග පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන්)
Mavil Anga is an Anuradhapura-era site in Vakarai featuring a 24-pillar image house. Key finds include a Siripatula Gala and Padmasana, marking it as a significant early Buddhist monastery now hidden within the dense eastern jungle. […]
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. […]
Vannathimadu Ancient Pond in Pullavi Jungle (පුල්ලාවි වනයේ වණ්ණාතිමඩු පැරණි පොකුණ)
The Vannāthimadu Ancient Pond (Vannathimadu Kulam) in Vakarai is a 2.42-hectare, oval-shaped reservoir dating to the Early Anurādhapura period. Enclosed by an earthen embankment, it still holds water and served as the primary water source for three nearby forest monasteries. […]
Archaeological Site near Kayankerni School (කායංකේණි පාසල අසල පුරාවිද්‍යා භූමිය)
The Anurādhapura-period archaeological site near Kayaṅkerni School in Vakarai features five short stone pillars from a three-row structure. Characterized by distinct chisel marks, the palm-covered site also contains scattered broken pillars, ancient roof tiles, and stone slabs. […]
Padigala (Padiettanamalei) Buddhist Monastic Ruins (පඩිගල පඩිඑත්තනමලෙයි බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Paḍigala Monastic Ruins in Vakarai feature a ruined brick stupa atop a rock plateau, reached by an ornamental 69-step stone staircase. The complex includes large building foundations, primitive moonstones, and pottery, though treasure hunter activity has severely damaged the site. […]
Omadiyamadu Forest Buddhist Monastic Ruins (ඕමඩියාමඩු වනයේ බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period stupa ruins in the Ōmeḍiyāmadu Forest, Vakarai, sit atop a rock formation. Treasure hunters have damaged the small, dilapidated stupa by digging a 2.5-meter-deep pit into its dome. Excavated bricks and stone debris lie scattered nearby. […]
Sitamalai Rock Buddhist Monastic Ruins (සීතාමලායි පර්වත බෞද්ධ ආරාමික නටබුන්)
The Anurādhapura-period Sītāmalai Monastic Ruins in Vakarai are centered on a 90×90-meter rocky outcrop. The site features a damaged brick-and-rubble stupa visible up to its first basal ring, a brick foundation eastward, and two building sites at its southern foot. […]