Weheragala Ruins inside Lunugamvehera

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Stupa A (from S) - Weheragala Ruins inside Lunugamvehera National Park : ලුනුගම්වෙහෙර තුල සැඟවුණු වෙහෙරගල ණටබුන් — Stupa A (from S) – Weheragala Ruins inside Lunugamvehera National Park : ලුනුගම්වෙහෙර තුල සැඟවුණු වෙහෙරගල ණටබුන්

Yala Block 5 was opened to the public as a separate national park called Lunugamvehera National Park in 2005. Lunugamvehera NP separates from the main Yala NP by the Kataragama – Buttala road bisecting Yala Park into 2 sections. Galge entrance which lies 13 km from Sella Kataragama on the Buttala road, provides entrance to Yala main park (block III, IV) as well as access to Lunugamvehera National Park (Yala Block V).

After the 13th century, the dry zone civilization in the northeastern part of Sri Lanka collapsed and the civilization in this region too fell in line. As a result of the loss of people’s livelihoods due to the war, disease and the devastation of irrigation systems, villages migrated to other areas and all the great Buddhist monasteries in these areas too collapsed. Traces of this great civilization were eventually swallowed by the jungles of Ruhuna and lie hidden to be discovered.

After the 13th century, the dry zone civilization in the northeastern part of Sri Lanka collapsed, leading to the decline of the entire region’s civilization. War, disease, and the disrepair of irrigation systems caused a loss of livelihoods, prompting villages to migrate to other areas. Consequently, all the great Buddhist monasteries in the region also fell into ruin. Over time, traces of this once-great civilization were swallowed by the jungles of Ruhuna, lying hidden and waiting to be discovered.

There are many temples and ancient ruins named Weheragala (or Veheragala) all around Sri Lanka. The name simply means the rock with a temple. The Weheragala rock inside the Lunugamvehera National Park is a common site for anybody taking a safari in the park. Unfortunately, even though you pass this rock at a close distance on the route to the Weheragala Dam, you are not allowed to get down or visit this site. All you will see is the half-built stupa on a massive rock outcrop. Nothing much had been written on the Buddhist ruins of this site either. Weheragala Rock is also referred to as Veherahathagala in some documents.

Weheragala Ruins inside Lunugamvehera National Park : ලුනුගම්වෙහෙර තුල සැඟවුණු වෙහෙරගල ණටබුන්

Weheragala Rock Hill is about 40m high, 200m long from east to west and 300m wide from north to south. Ruins of a Stupa and traces of 2 buildings remain at the top. Stupa lies near the northwestern corner of the rock which is the highest point of this rock. The stupa has been built on a square platform of about 15m in length. The height varies from 50 cm to 150 cm due to the unevenness of the rock base. This is built in cement and decorated with a concrete cloud wall (walakulu bamma) design. The stupa dome is newly built with bricks, and has a diameter of 7 meters and a height of about 6 meters. Ruins were excavated some decades ago by the archaeology department. Still, the current structure has been built on top of the ruins more as a tourist attraction without the involvement of the archaeology department or using any archaeological restoration principles.

There are traces of 2 other buildings on the eastern part of the flat bedrock. This lies about 20m below the stupa peak. The building marked as B is a square building with a side 15 meters long. Only part of the foundation stones remains today with pieces of clay bricks scattered all over. Since no complete bricks are found, the size of the bricks cannot be assessed, nor they can be used to date the site. The only interesting artefact here is a broken stone pedestal where a Buddha statue once stood. This disc-shaped pedestal is 45cm in diameter with a 15cm square hole at the centre. The pedestal is about 20cm in height and the hole is about 10cm deep. There is no trace of the Buddha statue which once stood here possibly due to destruction by the treasure hunters.

The second building (marked as C) is also similar in its status and no significant ruins are found here. There are about 10 kema spread over the rocky surface collecting water from rain. Five of them are apparently water-storing kema, most of which are 1.5m to 2m long, 1m wide and 1m deep, but the largest is 3m long and 1.5m wide.

Buddha statue attached to the stupa - Weheragala Ruins inside Lunugamvehera National Park : ලුනුගම්වෙහෙර තුල සැඟවුණු වෙහෙරගල ණටබුන්

Structure B (from S) - Weheragala Ruins inside Lunugamvehera National Park : ලුනුගම්වෙහෙර තුල සැඟවුණු වෙහෙරගල ණටබුන්

[B-1] Brick pieces of the remain of structure - Weheragala Ruins inside Lunugamvehera National Park : ලුනුගම්වෙහෙර තුල සැඟවුණු වෙහෙරගල ණටබුන්

[B-2] Buddha statue pedestal ? - Weheragala Ruins inside Lunugamvehera National Park : ලුනුගම්වෙහෙර තුල සැඟවුණු වෙහෙරගල ණටබුන්

Structure C (from S) - Weheragala Ruins inside Lunugamvehera National Park : ලුනුගම්වෙහෙර තුල සැඟවුණු වෙහෙරගල ණටබුන්

Weherahatagala Rock Inscription - Weheragala Ruins inside Lunugamvehera National Park : ලුනුගම්වෙහෙර තුල සැඟවුණු වෙහෙරගල ණටබුන්

Pataha - Weheragala Ruins inside Lunugamvehera National Park : ලුනුගම්වෙහෙර තුල සැඟවුණු වෙහෙරගල ණටබුන්

Pataha on the rock (from N) - Weheragala Ruins inside Lunugamvehera National Park : ලුනුගම්වෙහෙර තුල සැඟවුණු වෙහෙරගල ණටබුන්

References

Okamura, T., 2021. Ruins in and Around Yala National Park in Sri Lanka. 1st ed. Tokyo: NPO-SARERS – South Asian Ruins Exploration and Research Society.
MINISTRY OF WILDLIFE AND FORESYT CONSERVATION, 2022. Rehabilitation of Abandoned Water Tanks Lunugamwehera National Park (Phase I, Phase II and Phase III) – ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ECOSYSTEM CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT PROJECT. Battaramulla: Department of Wildlife Conservation.

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