ANOTHER APPROACH TO THE MALAYA DESA IN ANCIENT SRI LANKA: NEW ARCHAEOLOGICAL REVELATIONS IN AND AROUND PAHALA-MAWELA TEMPLE AT KADUGANNAWA

Chandima Bandara Ambanwala^1*

Mahinda Karunaratne²

¹ Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Peradeniya,Peradeniya.

² Department of Social Sciences & Comparative Studies, Buddasrawaka Bikshu University, Anuradhapura.

Introduction

The central hill region which had been named as Malaya Desa (=Malaya Country) in historical age has not got the due recognition as far as archaeological researches are concerned. Prof. Sudharshan Seneviratna has attempted to shed new light on the archaeological findings on the region and the purpose of the paper is to add some facts to help his argument. The main focus of this paper is to explore some findings that were obtained through basic archaeological researches in and around Pahala Mawela Rajha Maha Vihara.

Pahala Mawela Viharaya of Pahala Kadugannawa has been named as Walagamba Viharaya, Mawela Rajamaha Viharaya as well. It is situated in Makadawara Grama Niladari Divition of Mawanella DS Divition in Kegalle district of Sabaragamuwa Province in Sri Lanka. According to Ancient Divisions it belongs to Gane Pattuwa of Satara Korale.

The Researches have paid a little attention to the site and, it should mention here that H.C.P. Bell, in his Report on Kegalle District (1904), included a summarized description about the site. Rev. Pannila Saranankara identified the site as Mawela Viharaya followings the descriptions in Vihara Asna or Nam Pota a famous educational text during the Kandiyan period.

It is said, according to etno-archaeological evidence, this temple was built by King Walagmbahu. There is, however, another belief that Queen Henakanda Biso Bandara built was temple during the Gampola Kindom. The historical data related to the site can be traced back to Pre-Christian times.

Methodology

Equipment: 20 meters measurement tape, a binocular, a GPS equipment and Digital Camera.

Archaeological Evidence

In this site there are five drip-ledge caves. Three of them are in close vicinity of the temple and the other two can be found within a short distance from the site. In the site there are the stüpa house, the Image house and the monk residence. Within the stüpa house there is an 11 Ft. 6in. height stüpa and a 36 Ft. long reclining Budda statue can be seen and some paintings belonging to the Kandiyan Period are visible in the Image house.

Epigraphy

For the first time four early Brahmi Inscriptions could be discovered from this research. Three of them are cave inscriptions and the other one is inscribed on Korawakgala.

[1] [Paru]ma(ka) (Ku)yana ca Gapati sama Kulasa [lene]

The cave of the chief Kuyana and householder sama family

[2] Batimasa

Of the Battima

Discussion

When we probe into the human history of the relevant place, its earliest evidence represents the early Iron Age, among them drip-ledge caves and early brahmi inscription take an important place. Through the places like Pilikuttuwa, Warana, Lenagala, Salgahawane, Atugoda, Divela, Dhanagirigala and Heenatipone (Paranavitana 1970) there would be a route from the costal plain to the middle of the country or Malaya Desa. Observing the inscriptions, we come across the personal titles of Contemporary ruling classes like Parumaka, Ameta. Around the site there are important provincial ruling places (pre-state chieftains) like Yatahalena, Bambanragala and Gonawatta (Paranavitana 1970, Gunawardhana 1998). Importantly Mawela situated in a place where possible interconnection is observable with these places.

As the routes started from the harbor Gokanna, Matota, Dambakolapatuna which joined in Anuradhapura and went towards southern region, passing Dambulla-Matale to reach Malaya Desa and as the route came from the east passing Mahiyangana and Hunnasgiriya to enter Malaya Desa, the above mentioned route, we can safely surmise, might have reached Malaya rata through the wet region. (the researches done regarding the intermediate region have revealed that some raw material and minerals of Malaya Desa were transported to such places in intermediate region as Dambulla and Ibbankatuwa to make them finished commodities and they were re-transported to harbors via Anuradhpura) from the very beginning of the historical era this place had been used as a transportation center and further researches regarding this resource transportation from Malaya Desaya via the river Mahawaluka to the East are under way.

The change occurred in cultural landscape is explicit due to many facts such as some evidence found related to Mesolithic and Neolithic periods in the places like Warana, Alawala, Attanagoda Alulena and Dorawakkanda (Wijeypala 1997). Some evidence found related to proto historical era in such places as Kalaotuwawa, Galatara and the above mentioned sites carry some evidence of the early iron age. Thus we have the literacy evidence to prove the entrance of the highest plain of Malaya Desa.

This evidence will serve to promote the archaeological model that studies the transportation and exchange of resources in the central highlands.

Conclusion

From our study we can conclude that the region that ranges from the western region of the island to the central highlands represented three strata. We can develop a procedure like Mesolithic > Neolithic > early Iron Age > historic period

This Colombo-Kandy highway is important to the modern Sri Lankan Society, that much importance might be placed on the route that existed from the western Part of this island to

the Central highlands during the early historic period. Through our study we

suggest to shed a new light on the transformational routes that did not get due recognition in historical sources and the possible reconstruction of such routes existed between the Malaya Desa and the Northern, Eastern, Western parts of the country to Transport resources.

References

Bell, H.C.P. (1904) Report on The Kegalla District of the Province of Sabaragamuwa, Archaeological Survey of Ceylon.

Gunawardhana, R.A.L.H. (1998) Prelude to the State An Early phase in the Evolution of Political Institutions in Ancient Sri Lanka. Reflection on a Heritage, Central Cultural Fund, Colombo.

Paranavitana, S. (1970) Inscriptions of Ceylon, Archaeological Survey of Ceylon, Colombo.

Wijeypala, W. H. (1997) New Light on the Prehistory of Sri Lanka; In the Context Of Resent Investigatio-

ns At Cave Sites. A thesis submit- ed for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Peradeniya. Sri Lanka. (Unpublished)