Piyangala Aranya Senasanaya or Piyangala Forest Hermitage (Sinhalaː පියංගල ආරණ්ය සේනාසනය) is an ancient Buddhist temple in Ampara, Sri Lanka. The temple lies on the Ampara – Mahaoya main road, approximately 27 km (17 mi) away from the town of Ampara. The temple has been formally recognised by the Government as an archaeological site in Sri Lanka.[1]
| Piyangala Forest Hermitage | |
|---|---|
පියංගල ආරණ්ය සේනාසනය | |
 A drip ledged cave with Brahmi inscription | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| District | Ampara |
| Province | Eastern Province, Sri Lanka |
| Location | |
| Location | Piyangala, Ampara, Sri Lanka |
| Geographic coordinates | 07°29′46.0″N 81°37′53.6″E / 7.496111°N 81.631556°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Buddhist Temple |
| Style | Cave temple |
History
editIt is believed that this temple was constructed during the pre-Christian era. The site consists of a number of drip ledged caves with Brahmi inscriptions and ruins.[2] A few inscriptions detail the donation of caves by Rajithaa, and a daughter of King Dutugamunu. According to the view of Ellawala Medhananda Thera, these inscriptions are important as they reveal the names of Dutugemunu's queens and children.[3]
Gallery
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References
edit- ^ a b Gazette 1895 & 26 December 2014, p. 1150.
- ^ "Piyangala Aranya Senasanaya". Lanka Pradeepa. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ Medhananda, E. (1984). Aprakata Brahmi Sellipi Ha Puravastu (In Sinhala). Sri Lanka Society of Archaeology. p. 4-5.
Notes
edit- "Part I : Section (I) — General Government Notifications" (PDF). The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. 1895. 26 December 2014.[permanent dead link]