Mahapitiya Archaeological Ruins in Janakapura

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(1 votes, average: 1.00 out of 5)

වැලිඔය ජානකපුර මහපිටිය බෞද්ධ පුරාවිද්‍යා නටබුන් - Mahapitiya Archaeological Ruins in Janakapura, Welioya — Mahapitiya Archaeological Ruins in Janakapura, Welioya
ජයාරුපය : පෞරාණික ස්ථාන හා ස්මාරක – මුලතිව් දිස්ත්‍රික්කය – පුරාවිද්‍යා දෙපාර්තමේන්තුව

These archaeological ruins are located within the Janakapura Grama Niladhari Division, which falls under the Ahatugaswewa GN Division in the Weli Oya region. Janakapura is a remote village closely associated with Weli Oya and was named in honor of Major General Janaka Perera, a revered figure among the local Sinhala community.

He earned this recognition by constructing seven reservoirs in the region and playing a pivotal role in the development of Weli Oya. When Mahaweli Minister Gamini Dissanayake came the inauguration of the final village of the Welioya settlement scheme, Gaminipura, responding to a request made by the villagers at the time, the village was named Janakapura.

A Hero’s Legacy and a Historic Battle

Major General Janaka Perera was a key figure in ensuring that the network of army camps and surrounding Sinhala villages in Janakapura never fell into LTTE hands. On 29 July 1995, the LTTE launched a massive assault targeting the Janakapura army base and nearby Sinhala settlements. Under Janaka Perera’s command, the forces decisively repelled the attack, killing over 500 LTTE terrorists, with only two Sri Lankan soldiers losing their lives. This victory remains one of the most remarkable achievements in Sri Lanka’s military history during the three-decade-long civil war.

Locating the Site

After passing the Janakapura Supermarket Junction, travel approximately 200 meters until you reach the Kalapu Road. Turn south and cross the Deka Ela canal. The archaeological remains are located within a protected forest area known locally as Mahapitiya.

The Ruins

The ruins are spread across a large tract of land, though much of it has been heavily damaged by treasure hunters. At the edge of a paddy field, remnants of a structure built with stone pillars are visible. A pit, about one meter deep, has been dug at the center by treasure hunters. Two stone pillars remain standing, while three have been dislodged and several broken fragments lie nearby.

South of this structure is the base of another building, also featuring stone pillar fragments. A short distance away, the ruins of a third building with twelve stone pillars can be seen. However, identifying the exact nature of the structure is difficult due to extensive looting. Scattered around are carved and plain pillar bases, an undecorated moonstone (sandakadapahana), stone fragments, tiles, and bricks.

To the south of this third structure lies another ruined building with five stone pillars. Its central section has also been excavated by treasure hunters. Nearby, one can find additional pillars, seating stones, and moonstone fragments. Moreover, remains of two other buildings can be seen to the south and east of this complex.

About four meters southwest of the initial structure stands a small stupa ruin with a diameter of approximately 4 meters. The center of the stupa has been hollowed out to a depth of about 3 meters by treasure seekers.

Based on the archaeological evidence, this monastery dates back to the early Anuradhapura period. The site appears to have been a richly designed monastic complex, featuring well-crafted buildings with carved stone elements. Today, it is widely known among the local population as Mahapitiya.

References

Asanga, M. V. P. K., & Nishantha, I. P. S. (2018). පෞරාණික ස්ථාන හා ස්මාරක – මුලතිව් දිස්ත්‍රික්කය (1st ed.). Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka.
Archaeologysl.maps.arcgis.com. 2020. Web GIS Portal – Web GIS Unit. [online] Available at: <https://archaeologysl.maps.arcgis.com/home/index.html> [Accessed 30 September 2020].
මෙන්ඩිස්, ක., 2017. අපෙන් එ‍ෙකක් නොවේද මේ මිනිසා. [online] සිළුමිණ. Available at: <https://www.silumina.lk/2017/10/14/විශේෂාංග/අපෙන්-එ‍ෙකක්-නොවේද-මේ-මිනිසා> [Accessed 25 October 2020].

Also See

Map of Mahapitiya Archaeological Ruins in Janakapura

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.

Traveling Directions to Mahapitiya Archaeological Ruins in Janakapura

From Padaviya to Mahapitiya Archaeological Ruins in Janakapura

Via: Welioya
Total Distance: 32 km
Estimated Travel Time: 45 minutes
Time to spend: Approximately 30-60 minutes
Driving Directions: See on Google Maps

References

Also See

Map of Mahapitiya Archaeological Ruins in Janakapura

Traveling Directions to Mahapitiya Archaeological Ruins in Janakapura

Share this:

Leave a ReplyCancel reply