Through Wellawaya

Year and Month	23^rd and 24^th of November 2020
Number of Days	Two
Crew	2
Accommodation	Dream Clift Mountain Resort Beragala
Transport	By car and walking
Activities	Sightseeing , Archeology and Photography
Weather	Excellent
Route	Colombo->Mattala via Highway-> Thanamalwila->Wellawaya->Beragala->Return through same way to Colombo
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Start the journey early. Better meet head priests of these temples before you roam around there and explain the intention of visiting. The area becomes greenish during north east monsoon rain and soon after the monsoon. It is the ideal time to visit. You can’t drive over the dam of Handapanagala reservior. Some sections of Buduruwagala road are under construction. But can drive. Ask directions from locals and road condition before drive over there. Better start the journey early to avoid afternoon heat.
Related Resources	Lakdasun trip report on Forgotten Wellassa-Thanamalwila to Lunugamwehera by Ashan Amazing Lanka web site on Kanabiso Aramaya and Buduruwagala.
Author	Niroshan
Comments	Discuss this trip report, provide feedback or make suggestions at Lakdasun Forum on the thread Through Wellawaya

I have travelled Wellawaya in several times via highway and noted some archeology boards (black sign boards) on our way to Wellawaya from Mattala. Most of the time I don’t have a time to visit these places as I was hurry to reach destinations. This was a drive to Beragala via Wellawaya through highway and my destination was Dream Clift Mountain Hotel at Beragala. Here I allocated a time to pay attention on those “black boards” come across on my way to Beragala.

The list of places of visit was
1. Usgala Hermitage
2. Weheragala ruin site
3. Endangala Hermitage
4. Handapanagala Reservior
5. Kanabisawaramaya
6. Buduruwagala

This is not a complete list and to be updated with future trips.

Usgala Hermitage /උස්ගල ආරණය (6.436114, 81.027340)
The white stupa is situated on a small rock can be seen in your left hand side while passing 17.5 mile post junction at B427 road . This place is called Usgala Hermitage and locals called it as “Punchi Mihinthale” (පුoචි මිහින්තලේ). It is just a 300m drive from Blaharuwa Junction. I couldn’t find any historical information about the place. Newly built Stupa is situated on the rock and this place has a nice surrounding view.

The Stupa built on rock.

We followed steps to reach the rock

Stupa built on rock

Surrounding view

Stupa built on rock

Common findings…

Paddies

Paintings on ceiling

Inside the Stupa

The Bo tree

Continuation along B427 road you will come across 3^rd mile post junction to turn to Veheragala ruin site / Gothapabbatha RMW.

Veheragala ruin site / Gothapabbatha RMW (6.417574, 81.096765)

This place is marked as Veheragala RMW in Google map. It is about 2km from 3^rd mile post junction. Veheragala ruin site is currently functioned as a Bikkuni Temple. The Stupa on the rock is the main feature of the place and there are ruins scattered around the Stupa. An ancient Buddha statue was kept at a house for protection.

Veheragala ruin site

The pagoda and shrine house. It seems like new addition to the place.

.	The Bo tree is situated slightly lower to the archeology site.

Sacred foot print

Moon stone and a pillar

The stone inscription.

Buddha statue

Statue of Sangamiththa Arahath Thero

Scattered ruins

We were back to B427 road and got turn to right at Kokilagama to reach Endagala Hermitage.

Endagala Hermitage / Andagala Aranya Senasanaya /ඇදගල ආරණය (6.42800, 81.116230)
According to Buddhist priest there was a bed rock and a pillow but currently it is not seen at the place. This place is a well-functioning hermitage and devotees have brought alms for the lunch at the time of our visit. We were able to see two drip ledge caves but couldn’t see the bed rock mentioned at Ashan’s report.

Endagala Buddhist Hermitage

It is a functioning hermitage

Then we passed Thanamalwila town and turned at Handapanagala junction to reach Handapanagala reservior. It is about 4km from Handapanagala junction to Handapanagala reservior.

Handapanagala reservior /හදපානාගල ජලාශය (6.657144, 81.147992)
According to the folklore, ancient Handapanagala Lake was built by great king Dutugamunu in commemorate his mother. Handapanagala Lake was upgraded under Uma Oya project in 2019.
We have walked over the dam of the reservior and got on to the rock situated adjacent to the dam. This rock is called Kanabiso Gala ( කණාබිසෝ ගල) and Kanabiso Pond (කණාබිසෝ පොකුණ) is situated on this rock. (Actually I didn’t know it when I was there) The lake bank is famous for wild elephant visiting and Wadhina Hela (වදින හෙල) mountain of Wellawaya is appearing behind the reservior.

Some information of the reservior

Handapanagala reservior

Fishing at Handapanagala

They have broken a part of Kanabiso Gala in expanding the reservior.

View of the reservior from Kanabiso Gala

These old trees appearing out of water brim make beautiful sceneries with sun set

On top of Kanabiso Gala

Selfie at Handapanagala reservior

Handapanagala reservior and dam

The feeding area of the lake

The dam and Kanabiso Gala situated adjacent to the dam

Closer view of Kanabiso Gala and ponds

The dam and paddies around the reservior

Some rocks used to build the reservior

Greenish Wellawaya

Kanabiso Aramaya with ruins situated in front of Handapanagala reservior.

Kanabisawaramaya RMW /කණාබිසවාරාමය (6.654901, 81.149802)
This archeological site is situated opposite to Handapanagala Dam. You can see some stone pillars and a ruined pagoda at this temple. Newly built temple also can be seen here.

Stone pillars at Kanabisawaramaya

Ruined pagoda

Scattered ruins

A cave situated at Kanabiso Gala

Buduruwagala archeological site is situated closer to Wellawaya town. There is a museum situated at Buduruwagala junction but it was closed due to corona break. The distance from Buduruwagala junction to Buduruwagala archeological site is about 4km.
We have passed another archeology site and beautiful Buduruwagala lake on our way to Buduruwagala archeology site.

Buduruwagala Rock Carvings /බුදුරුවාගල (6.687080, 81.078506)
There are seven statues carved on the rock of Buduruwagala. The middle one which is the tallest is a Buddha statue with Abhaya Mudra gesture. It is 51 feet tall and currently considered as the tallest Buddha statue in the world following destruction of Bamiyan Buddha statues. Other statues are
1. Left center-Awalokitheeshvara Bodhisattva
2. Left corner-Prince Sudana
3. Left medial- Thara Devi
4. Right center- Maithri Bodhisattva
5. Right corner-Vajirapani Bodhisattva
6. Right medial-Unidentified statue (Either Vishnu or Sahampath Brahma)

These statues are belong to late Anuradhapura period and carved according to Mahayana style.

The vehicle park was empty when we reached there and no archeology officers even. It was about 500m from the vehicle park to rock caved statues. On our way back to main road we have noticed another archeology site situated after Buduruwagala Lake. Restored stupa and scattered ruins were the main features of this site. I couldn’t get more details about the place.

The way to Buduruwagala

Paved path to Buduruwagala

Seven statues of Buduruwagala

Center Buddha statue

Statue of prince Sudana (left) , Awalokitheeshvara Bodhisathwa and Thara Devi (right)

Statue of Vajirapani Bodhisathwa (right), Maithree Bodhisathwa and unidentified statue (left)

Ruined site

Korawak Gal

The archeology site near Buduruwagala

Restored Pagoda

Wellawaya-Beragala road (A4) is 36km in distance but road condition is not suitable for an A grade road. This road is full of bends and narrow at some sections. Our destination of the day was Dream Cliff Mountain Resort which is situated just 4km away from Beragala town. (I will come in different report on Wellawaya-Beragala road)

Dream Cliff Mountain Resort-Beragala (6.754132, 80.922196)
This hotel has a unique feature of cabanas, so called beehives built like Igloo houses of Eskimos. Dream Cliff Mountain resort is facing to southern plain from Beragala plateau. The infinity pool and roof top of the restaurant are hot spots of the place. We were fortunate to have picturesque sun rise from dream cliff mountain hotel.