{"id":86712,"date":"2022-02-16T13:59:49","date_gmt":"2022-02-16T13:59:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=86712"},"modified":"2022-02-16T13:59:49","modified_gmt":"2022-02-16T13:59:49","slug":"piyangala-chithralena-cave-of-frescoes-in-ampara-by-arundathie-abeysinghe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/piyangala-chithralena-cave-of-frescoes-in-ampara-by-arundathie-abeysinghe\/","title":{"rendered":"Piyangala Chithralena – cave of frescoes in Ampara By Arundathie Abeysinghe"},"content":{"rendered":"

Piyangala Chithralena – cave of frescoes in Ampara<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

By Arundathie Abeysinghe<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
\"Piyangala
Piyangala cave paintings ( Chitra Lena) – cave paintings at Piyangala “chitra lena”<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\"\"Situated in *Ampara, Piyangala Chitralena (cave of frescoes) is an enormous cave with ancient frescoes situated in close proximity to Piyangala Forest Hermitage, about 27 kilometers from Ampara in a vast area comprising scattered ruins of an ancient Buddhist monastic complex. There are over 50 caves with drip ledges in the location. These drip ledges indicate that the caves had been home to forest dwelling meditating Buddhist monks in the past.<\/span><\/p>\n

The main cave of the hermitage is the \u2018Uttaraguptha Thera lena\u2019 (meaning the cave of Uttaraguptha Thera in Sinhala) situated at the top of the mountain (along with 20 other caves) believed to have been utilized by a renowned *arhat known as Uttara Gupta Thera in the 1st<\/sup> century BC.<\/span><\/p>\n

A stone paved path leads to the entrance of the monastery which has a 100 feet long (approximately 30 meters) walking path that has been utilized for meditation by ancient monks. There are moonstones in the caves that had been constructed in the 4th<\/sup> century BC. There is also a carved footprint of the Buddha in the premises.<\/span><\/p>\n

Several *Brahmi inscriptions with details of the donations and donators have also been inscribed in these caves. Some caves at Piyangala have rock art of forest dwelling *vedda groups, the only caves with Veddah frescoes. According to historians, these caves had been inhabited by vedda groups when the monks had abandoned the Monastery. Two of these inscriptions are of great significance. According to *Professor Senarath Paranawithana, one of these inscriptions describes about offering of a cave by a relation of Queen Rajithaa, queen consort of *King Dutugemunu, whereas the other cave has been donated by a daughter of King Dutugemunu who was married to Parumaka Duta.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Piyangala
a cave at Piyangala<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Spread over approximately 80 hectares (200 acres) of forest, Piyangala Forest Hermitage was the victim of a thirty- year old war, a rock quarry including a series of forest fires.According to scholars, the temple at Piyangala Forest Hermitage had been constructed in the 1st<\/sup> century BC by Queen Rajitha.<\/span><\/p>\n

Located in the eastern section of *Rajagala mountain, Piyangala Chitralena came in to limelight in 2009 when an enormous rock quarry was on one side of the rock and the rock was blasted to construct the *Oluvil Harbor. The ancient cave with frescoes (Chithra Lena) has been partially damaged due to the blast. As an environment assessment had not been carried out, the extent of the damage to these ancient caves is unknown.<\/span><\/p>\n

At present, the temple has been declared as an archaeological site by the Department of Archaeology.<\/span><\/p>\n

Location:<\/strong> Approximately 18 kilometers from Uhana town in Ampara<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Piyangala<\/p>\n

Directions:<\/strong> A board of the Department of Archaeology located before the turn off to the Pulukunava Raja Maha Viharaya is the road to this majestic cave situated approximately 100 meters away from the road.<\/span><\/p>\n

Image courtesy \u2013 amazinglanka.com & sundaytimes.lk<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n