Visit to Okanda and Kudumbigala Monastery

This journey is one of my most awaited journey to the Eastern province. We initially planned this since we had three days of a holiday. We left from Colombo in the mid night of the previous day and was able to reach Panama arond 8am. We took a continuous ride with only few stopping.

However this is what we saw on our first day. These places are historically important places hence we walked as much as to see the surrounding. I have seen many no of sun setting over the ocean but this is the first time that I have seen sun rising at the beach. We went to some other places and spent the night at Friend home.

These places are currently under the Archaeology dept and they are protecting this histort as there are many important evidences of out past. All the people in this area is highly respecting to all of these places and there are many people are visiting too.

Okanda Devalaya – ඔකඳ දේවාලය

Okanda is a small hamlet on the eastern coast of Sri Lanka at the official entrance to the Kumana National Park. Just before the ticketing office of Kumana a small lane toward the sea will take you the Okanda Devalaya on a rocky outcrop on the beach.

For the devotees traveling on the annual Kataragama Pada Yathra, Okanda is the last gathering point before entering the unforgiving jungle of Kumana and then Yala  where they would continue their weeks long walk towards the Katragagama Devalaya. The devotees would worship the Murugan ( form of  Kataragama Deity for Hindus) Kovil at Okanda and obtain blessings of the Murugan for a safe journey through the jungles.

At the top of the rock is a small devalaya dedicated to Valli Amma, the concubine  of Murugan ( Skanda). At the bottom of the rock lies a large devalaya dedicated to Murugan (deity Kataragama). A flight of rock cut steps from this devalaya leads to the top of the rock.

The caves at Kottadamuhela, near by, were a gift to the Sangha of the four quarters of the world, past, present and yet to come by the descendants of an independent dynasty of Kshatriya who reigned over southeast Ceylon with its seat in Kataragama. The emblem of the fish, found in the caves in this region, is the insignia of these rulers.

This entire region, as attested to by ancient cave inscriptions (out of which 20 has been identified at Kottadamuhela), has been used for similar purposes to those of this initiative since before the time of Christ.

According to the Historian Ven. Medhadana Thero, he has observed ruins of the stupa at the top of the rock during a visit in 1978 but today only some traces of it is found. Ancient bricks are scattered at the bottom of the rock.

Also according to the thero, this devalaya was owned by Buddhists till 1970 when the tamils overrode the Sinhalese in the area. With the emergence of LTTE terrorists since 80s this area was systematically cleansed of Sinhalese. Who ever who were not hacked to death left area other than few farmer families in Panama, the only existing ancient Sinhalese village today, who survived with the help of the forces.

The Name “Okanda Devalaya” which appeared on a board till 2002-04-27 has been replaced with “Murugan Kovil” since then according the Thero. But even today this Okanda Devalaya (Murugan Kovil) is a place of worship for almost all those who come to visit Kumana irrespective of the race and religion.

In 2009, the LTTE Terrorists were defeated after a bitter war which raged for 30 years. The Okanda Devalaya and all the surrounding area is freely accessible since then.

Primary Sources
* The Sinhala Buddhist Heritage in the East and the North of Shri Lanka by Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thero
* livingheritage.org

On the way to Panama

Some places to rest

Beach at the dawn

Sun rising

The waves

Nature

Morning view

Rising sands

Nice Environment

Our medium of Transportation

New constructions

Located in a beautiful place

Okanda Dewalaya

Kudumbigala Monastery – කුඩුම්බිගල වන සෙණසුන

Kudumbigala Monastery lies eleven miles from Panama and seventeen miles away from the Kumana Village.

Kudumbigala monastic complex was built in 246 BC, during the time of King Devanampiyatissa. It was first established as a refuge for the Buddhist monks who wanted to get away from the busy Cities. Archaeologists had recovered over 200 rock caves belonging to this forgotten monastery.

The inscriptions in Brahmi script and other evidence in the recently discovered cave, Maha Sudharshana Lena, shows that Kudumbigala was established as an Aranya Senansanaya in the pre-Christian era. A stone inscription has it that the Maha Sudharshana Lena was built and gifted to the Arahats by the Giant Warrior Nandimitra, one of King Dutugemunu’s “Dasa Maha Yodayas”, the ten giant warriors.

In 1994, terrorists belonging to the LTTE hacked to death 17 innocent civilians in Panama. Kudumbigala had to be abandoned immediately as the Government failed to protect the place. Ethnic cleansing, under the cover of the most effective propaganda machine in the world today, has swallowed one third of the Sri Lankan land and 74% of the Sinhalese Buddhists do not even seem to know that. 5% of the Christian Sinhalese do not even seem to care.

Tar thrown by the LTTE on the Kudumbigala Buddha Statue as the last warning to the priests to vacate the temple

Today, there is no human habitation around this historic Aranya. Kudumbigala stands, towering in silent splendour, a solitary landmark and witness to the untold stories that get written into landscapes, buried, unearthed and erased yet once again. That is the sad tale of the Sinhalese civilization, which unfortunately do not deserve that fate.

The importance of the Kudumbigala monastery cannot be expressed in words. The Only Cylindrical Dagaba to survive in Sri Lanka today, is in this monastery.

LTTE terrorists have thrown tar on the head of the Buddha statue. That was the last warning given to the monks vacate the place.

Source : www.nexcorpsl.com/sinhala/N_Kudumbigala.htm

Name board of the Kudumbigala Monastery

The Main Viharaya

Its a rocky area

Natural caves

Len Viharaya

Archaeology Notice

Nice staircase

Tin-Tin

History

Remains of the past

Under protection

Natural footpath developed

Tiny world

Another major ruins of the past

Surrounding Rock

More ancient things at the top

The temple

Adjusted to the ocean and the wind

Magul Maha Viharaya – මගුල් මහා විහාරය

The history of Magul Maha Vihara possibly dates back to the period of King Kavantissa who ruled the Kingdom of Ruhuna in ancient Sri Lanka. There are evidence that suggests that the king has built this temple in the 2nd Century BC on the exact location where he married the princesses Viharamahadevi, the daughter of king Kelani Tissa. Other sources claim that King Dhatusena (463-479 AD) built this temple while many other monarchs renovated it through the centuries later. There is a stone inscription at the site of this temple that dates back to the 14th century which supports the latter view.

According to legend Viharamaha Devi, the daughter of King Kelanitissa volunteered to sacrifice herself to the sea to appease the gods who were enraged at the King for punishing an innocent monk. The princess was safely carried over the ocean waves, reaching ashore at a place near the Muhudu Maha Viharaya in Pottuvil, where the encounter between king Kavantissa and the princess took place which later led to their marriage. The legend also tells that the marriage ceremony was conducted at the premises of Magul Maha Viharaya in Lahugala, where the King had later built the temple to celebrate the auspicious event. The foundations of the Magul Maduwa where the wedding ceremony took place can still be seen at the temple premises. Magul is a word in native Sinhala language which gives the meaning wedding or auspicious.

Magul Maha Vihara had been renovated by several monarchs after its establishment. A 14th century stone inscription, located within the temple premises, reveals about a queen who also had the name Viharamaha Devi, wife of King Buvenekabahu IV of Gampola and Parakramabahu V of Gampola, who renovated and donated many acres of land to this temple. Magul Maha Viharaya is inscribed in this stone inscription as Ruhunu Maha Viharaya. Some other sources reveals that king Dappula I, constructed this temple after listening to the preachings of Buddhist monks. It is speculated that around 12,000 monks inhabited the complex at some stage in history, which is evident to the largeness of the ancient temple.

Magul Maha Vihara Ruins

Middle of it

Name Board

Another ancient stupa

Ruins of the history

Protected under Archaeology dept

Surrounding

Thank you for reading !

Sobasiri Team ©