Piyangala Aranya Senasanaya
Ancient Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka
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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 | |
  Location within Sri Lanka | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| District | Ampara |
| Province | Eastern Province |
| Location | |
| Location | Piyangala, Ampara, Sri Lanka |
| Coordinates | 07°29′46.0″N 81°37′53.6″E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Buddhist Temple |
| Style | Cave temple |
| Designated | 26 December 2014[1] |
History
It 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]
