Wellawaya Kinkini Rajamaha Viharaya

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The stupa mound at the Handapangala Kinkini Rajamaha Viharaya

Kinkini Raja Maha Viharaya is located near the 312-kilometer post along the Wellawaya–Tissamaharama A2 highway, within the Andawelayaya Grama Niladhari Division of the Wellawaya Divisional Secretariat, in Moneragala District of Sri Lanka’s Uva Province. It lies close to the banks of the Kirindi Oya, approximately 6.5 kilometers from Wellawaya and 28 kilometers from Thanamalwila.

At first glance, the temple presents a modern appearance visible from the road. However, hidden behind these newer structures and nestled within the adjacent forest lies a much older archaeological site believed to date back to the reign of King Valagamba (89–77 BCE). To reach this ancient section, one must take a narrow footpath leading through a forest of trees.

The Stupa Complex

According to Sumanasekara Banda (1986, pp. 13–18), the most prominent ruin here is the stupa, now a dilapidated mound. Despite its current state, it once stood as a grand three-tiered construction. The outermost courtyard was supported by a rubble platform, seemingly designed to accommodate multiple buildings. The retaining wall on one side stretches 215 feet, and the side of the stupa’s base spans approximately 192 feet across. Each of the three terraces rises about 4 feet in height. The second courtyard measures 59 feet by 57 feet. The innermost courtyard, probably the Square Chamber (Hatharas Kotuwa) of the stupa itself, is a square platform 29 feet on each side, surrounded by a 7-foot-wide courtyard. It’s likely that basal rings (Pesa Walalu) once adorned this level. The structure rises 9 feet from this base to the top of the now-ruined stupa.

A particularly notable feature in the second courtyard is a finely crafted stone platform, which may have been used for ritual washing, flower offerings, or draining water. This drain begins with a circular hollow capable of holding a large vessel. The circular part has a radius of 1 foot 9 inches, while the channel itself extends 5 feet in length. The water outlet is 11 inches wide, with an interior width of 5 inches and a depth of 3 inches. The entire device is carved from a stone block approximately 8 inches thick.

At the lower courtyard lies a chatra gala, a carved stone disc that likely once topped the stupa, which has since broken. In the second courtyard, a square stone pillar measuring 5 feet in height and 9 inches in width remains. It may have been one of the vertical shafts that supported the upper sections of the stupa.

Among the scattered bricks used in the construction of the stupa, one sample brick measures 1 foot 3 inches in length, 9 inches in width, and 3 inches in thickness. Nearby, on the rock platform surrounding the stupa, lies a carved stone channel measuring 5 feet 6 inches long, 1 foot 6 inches wide, and 1 inch deep.

Ruins of Ancient Buildings

Behind the stupa are the remnants of an ancient building, measuring 24 feet in length and 18 feet in width. It appears to have been built on a grid of stone pillars, 20 in total, arranged in five rows lengthwise and four rows crosswise. The pillars still visible above ground stand 3 feet 9 inches tall and measure 1 foot 2 inches by 10 inches in cross-section.

Another nearby building, now partially collapsed, measures 18 feet by 14 feet and features 8 surviving stone pillars. These pillars rise about 3 feet 2 inches above ground level. One of these pillars is larger than the others, measuring 1 foot 4 inches by 10 inches. On a small rock to the right of the stupa are the faint foundations of yet another structure, now mostly lost to time.

At the entrance to the ancient sacred area, there is evidence that an older building once stood. Among the debris are tile fragments stamped with a trident symbol, suggesting that the devala complex may have seen development during the Polonnaruwa period.

Surrounding Landscape and Nearby Sites

Not far from the pagoda, across the Kirindi Oya, the mountain range known as Vandinahelkanda can be seen. Local villagers claim that there are more Buddhist ruins hidden within those mountains.

To visit the archaeological section of Kinkini Raja Maha Viharaya, one must venture down a narrow path behind the current temple. There, in front of the now-overgrown stupa, which today resembles a simple earthen mound, stands a Buddha statue on a small platform.

Granite pillars of an ancient building at the Handapangala Kinkini Rajamaha Viharaya

An ancient granite water outlet at the Handapangala Kinkini Rajamaha Viharaya

References

Sumanasekara Banda, S. J. (1986). ඌවේ දායාද (1st ed.). Sarvodaya Vishwa Lekha.

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