Sithulpawwa Rajamaha Viharaya, Buddhist monastery in Southern Province, Sri Lanka
Sithulpawwa Rajamaha Viharaya is a monastery complex on a hilltop in southern Sri Lanka featuring ancient stupas, Buddha statues, and rock carvings in the natural surroundings. The site consists of several caves with inscriptions and different levels of structures and shrines built into the slope.
The complex was founded in the 2nd century BCE by King Kavantissa and grew into a major religious center housing thousands of monks. This early period shaped Buddhist development in the southern region fundamentally.
The site's name refers to a quiet-mind hill, showing how this place has been used as a sacred meditation ground since ancient times. Visitors and pilgrims gather in the caves and before the statues to experience the location as a space for concentration and reflection.
The site is located near Yala National Park and can be reached via roads branching from Tissamaharama. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear since climbing to the hilltop involves steep paths and steps.
The rock inscriptions here are among the oldest Buddhist writings in the region and show the early beginnings of this religion in Sri Lanka. These ancient markings provide rare insights into belief practices and language from that distant period.
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