Archaeological visit around Galewela

Galewela (ගලේවෙල) is an intermediate town situated at Kurunegala-Dambulla road. There are archaeology sites situated few kilometres away from Galewela town but we don’t pay attention on it while passing Galewela. The main objective of this one day visit to pay attention on these archaeological sites near Galewela. The sole guide for this trip was the chapter 03-route 01 and route 04 in Sigiriya and beyond book. And Ashan and Chamara have visited these places few months ago. Their experience and photos were also helpful in succeed the trip. At end this was the last trip I have done before I left Polonnaruwa. Polonnaruwa was the starting point of most of the trips I have done in last five and half years. (2012-2017). Anupama was also keen in searching of archaeology places around Galewela and joined with me.

List of the places we have visited

1. Weherabandihinna archaeology site
2. Gerandigala
3. Megahahena pre historical burial site
4. Gonmottawa Kanda Aranya
5. Yahangala
6. Dewahoowa Lake
7. Viharahinna archaeology site

Anupama came from Ibbagamuwa and we joined at Galewela town for the breakfast. Our route of interests of the day was Galewela-Kalawewa road (B 423) starting from Galewela town.

Weherabandihinna archaeology site (වෙහෙරබැදිහින්න පුරාවිද්යා ස්ථානය)

This place is not listed in book but it came to our attention once we started the trip along B 423 road. It is about 2 km from Galewela town.  You can see restoring Dagaba and ponds on top of Gal Thalawa. There are Sandun trees around the site. The chief priest of the temple didn’t allow us to get pictures.

.	Restoring Stupa

View of Beliya Kanda (right) and Gonmottawa Kanda (left)

Gerandigala / Gal Endan Gala (ගැරඩිගල / ගල් ඇදන් ගල) (7 4727.31, 80.341896)

 Route: Galewela->Damunumulla (3 km in Andiyagala road) ->Turn right at Damunumulla->Gerandigala Temple->Gerandigala Gal Andan (stone beds)

 Gerandigala Gal Andan was the place of interest at this site. We deliberately omit the visit of Gerandigala temple as it was a Sunday school day and we would draw attention by children. According to description, it is a modernized Len Wiharaya with small Dagaba is placed at nice view point.

After passing Geranidgala temple you will come across the foot path to Gerandigala rock. Within a short climb we were able to come to top of Gerandigala where Gal Andan (stone beds) are situated. There are six beds carved out of the solid rock at a cave on top of Gerandigala. The cave entrance is a nice view point to surrounding. We were able to view known mountains: Kadigala, Arangala, Manikdena, Gedaragalapathana, Yakkuragala and Kalundawa.

Steps to Gerandigala

Gerandigala

The cave at Gerandigala where Gal Andan situated

Gal Endan and view from the cave

Gal Endan

Gal Endan

Dewahuwa Lake

Known peaks from cave entrance….

Known peaks from cave entrance….

Erawulagala is seen behind Yakkuragala

Gonmottawa Kanda

Deiyan Natana Gala

Dewahuwa Lake

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Karanampotha and Na Uyana Aranya Kanda

We moved out of the cave and walked over the rocky ridge to explore more on Gerandigala top. Geranidgala might be the superb place to watch sun rise due to it’s open area with 360 view.

Rock arrangement on top of Gerandigala

Boulders on top of Gerandigala

Cobra hood

Gerandigala inscription (7.474233, 80.342690) is situated about 1 km away from Gerandigala. We drove along the long until we found small tank and turned left. Then this road became a small foot pathway towards Geranidgala inscription. According to the book there are two inscriptions but we found only one. These inscriptions describe the donation for Buddhist Sanga during King Sirisangabo period.

Steps to Gerandigala inscription

Gerandigala Inscription is situated at other side of the rock. Luckily it is protected by a metal fence.

Gerandigala Inscription.

Gerandigala Inscription

.	Gerandigala in distance

Megahahena Pre historical Burial Site (7.799408, 80.582946) මීගහහේන ප්‍රාග් ඓතිහාසික සොහොන

We came back to the small lake and continued along the same road and turned left just after another temple (Sri Darmakshitharamaya). There was another left hand turn from a tube well. This burial site is situated at a private land with teak and this is the same place we parked our bikes before we hike Beliya Kanda. It is said the burial site is 2800 years old.

Pre historical burial site is situated at base of Beliya Kanda.

Stone pillars at burial site. This square shape tomb is like Ibbankatuwa.

Megahahena pre historical burial site

Small pond. This is not related to the site.

Our next place of interest was Gonmottawa Kanda Aranya Senasanaya. We returned to Andiyagala road and continued just before 36^th kilometer post and turned right at archaeological sign board to Gonmottawa Aranya. It is about 2 km from here and stone quarries were common in this area.

Stone quarries common at this area

Turn to Gonmottawa Aranya

Gonmottawa Kanda Aranya / Nagolla Aranya ගොම්මොට්ටාව කන්ද ආරණය (7.494027, 80.344672)
This archaeology site is currently functioned as Aranya Senasanaya. Drip ledge cave, ancient stupa and roofed sakman maluwa are the things to see at this place. As it is an Aranya Senasanaya, it is better not to disturb bikkus by your visit. Luckily we visited at correct time as it was just after Alms giving. We were rewarded by lunch at the end. We didn’t try to hike to the rocky mountain to get the surrounding view. There are caves at Aranya forest used by bikkus for mediation.

Drip ledge cave at Gonmottawa

Roofed Sakman Maluwa

Ancient stupa

Stupa is preserved in creative way

Continued along Andiyagala road and passed 29^th kilometer post. After another 200 m you will come across left hand side road called “Ranaviru Shokaratne Mawatha”. Go along this road another 4.5 km and pass another small junction. In another 300m distance Yahangala temple will find at the base of the rock.

Yahangala Gal Endan යහන්ගල ගල් ඇදන් (7.503668, 80.322427)

Yahangala is another rock with stone beds-Gal Endan. It is a short hike from the foot of the rock to the top and we were assisted by a set of boys lived closer to the temple. They were the same group helped to Ashan. On top of Yahangala you can see six stone beds inside the cave. You can see a ruined pagoda on top of the rock.  The slab rock provides a panoramic view.

Beliya Kanda is seen on our way to Yahangala.

Yahangala another rock top garden

It is a short hike from temple

Nice “Gal Thalawa” on top of Yahangala

Nice “Gal Thalawa” on top of Yahangala

The pond on top

Remains of ancient Dagaba.

The cave where Gal Andan are situated.

Yahangala Gal Andan

View from Yahangala cave

Minee Mal / Vinka is a common finding on top

They were friendly and helpful

The view from Yahangala-Deiyan Natana Gala

Beliya Kanda from Yahangala. Gonmottawa Kanda in left side.

Kahala Pallekele range

Another stupa on rock top

In addition to Gal Adnan there is a stone inscription at base of Yahangala. (Actually this is covered by bushes). This inscription was dated to 2^nd century AD and it says the patron of this monastery came from the Buddhist kingdom of island of Sumatra. There are some ruins and an engraved sacred foot print at temple premises.

Hidden stone inscription at base of Yahangala.

Stone inscription at Yahangala

Sacred foot print

Ruins

Dewahoowa Lake is situated closer to Yahangala. This lake has ancient back ground and folklore said Great King Dutugemunu has built this beautiful lake. It is bit unusual to hear King Dutugemunu’s name related to a lake rather than temples.  The king and his engineers had a difficulty in deciding the exact place to build the lake. Here a god (deva) helped out with a loud “hoowa”, indicating the ideal place. Restoration works done in 1950 and found old biso Kotuwa and remnants of the bund dating to the early Anuradhapura period.

Devahoowa Lake (දේවහූව වැව) (7.483077, 80.33092)

Devahoowa Lake is received water from Kalugal Oya, Kuda Oya and Mahaweli River. Therefore this is classified as a ‘perennial large tank’. The lake bund is a good place to view surrounding hills including Beliya Kanda, Gonmottawa Kanda,Omaragolla Hills, Gerandigala, Manikdena, Kadigala and Ambokka etc.

Information about the lake

Towards Devahoowa Lake

Devahoowa Lake bunt

Devahoowa Lake

Lake bunt…

Manikdena, Gerandigala and Kadigala. Gerandigala stupa is also seen as a white dot in front of Kadigala

Omaragolla Hills

Ambokka with it’s usual misty cap

Omaragolla Hills

At Devahoowa Lake

The spill

The last destination of the day was Viharahinna archaeology site which is situated closer to Devahoowa Lake. We continued along the bunt road of Devahoowa Lake and came across Pibidunugama junction. This road continues further about 1.5km over Ma Wewa bund to Viharahinna archaeology site. This is well signposted site by archaeology department.

 Viharahinna archaeology site (විහාරහින්න පුරාවිද‍යා ස්ථානය) (7 485375, 80.304018)

Viharahinna is a Pabbata Vihara type of monastery with its excavated image house, Dagaba and Bodhigara. A slab inscription is placed near the remains of Dagaba. It belongs to 12^th century and describes south Indian merchant guilds that operated across India, Sri Lanka and as far East as China during 9^th to 14^th centuries. This slab inscription is written in Tamil and Sanskrit.

Ma Wewa comes across on our way to Viharahinna.

Entering to Viharahinna archaeology site

Bodhigaraya. Not yet excavated

Image house of Viharahinna. These stone pillars are almost 4 m tall.

Image house of Viharahinna

Note ruined Buddha statue at image house.

Palu and Weera trees shade over the site.

Viharahinna slab inscription written in Sanskrit and Tamil.

The shrine house. Dagaba is situated behind this. It is also yet to be excavated.

Bathing. At the end of the day.

Though Budugehinna Viharaya and Silwathgala Viharaya are situated closer to these places, we didn’t visit those temples.

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