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Rajagala Vihara:
Hidden away in thick forest
 Rassagala or Rajagalathenna, an area hidden in a rocky forest over
the village of Bakkielle, five miles to north of Ampara, reveals the
splendour of Sri Lanka’s prehistoric era to the world. The place
consists of more than 500 ruins and artefacts of a Buddhist temple that
speak of the glorious days of the Sri Lankan history.
The name Rassagala reminds us about devils and demons, since we call
them ‘Rassayo’ or ‘Rakshayo’ in Sinhala. According to an officer at the
Department of Archaeology, the people of the Raksha tribe had lived in
the area. They were human beings who worshipped the Rakshas. The word
Raksha have become Rassa over the years. Rajagala is a rugged and
thickly forested mountain on the sparsely populated part of Sri Lanka.
Rassagala is situated 1,038 feet above sea level. The archaeological
site spreads over nearly 300 acres.
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Unfinished Buddha
Statue |
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Naga Mudra |
Unfortunately, the history of the place is not definite, but bhikkhus
are believed to have inhabited it between the 10th and 3rd centuries BC.
stone inscriptions of the period have been found at the site. All over
the northern summit of the mountain, extensive ruins have been excavated
from the thick jungle, and some are only partially excavated.
Arahat Mihindu Thera, who brought the precious gift of Buddhism to
Sri Lanka, had visited the Rajagala Vihara.
Artefacts
According to archaeological sources, the temple belongs to the most
prosperous era in Sri Lankan history. Many dagobas, temples, ponds,
shrine rooms and moonstones have been discovered from the site.
There are some drawings on the stone, done with ash or chalk, which
are believed to have been done by the adivasies (indigenous people).
Archaeologists believe that the drawings probably belong to the
prehistoric era.
There are also caves that had been used by bhikkhus. Inside the
caves, there are living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and toilets. A stone
inscription gives the donor’s name.
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Stone rice bowl |
The stone inscriptions found here probably belong to the Anuradhapura
era. They are written in Brahmi letters, which are believed to be the
first stage in the evolution of the Sinhala letters. There is a korawak
gala, a muragala (guardstone) and a moonstone at the entrance of the
site.
The moonstone differs from those found at other places. A lotus motif
spreads all over the moonstone, whereas in other moonstones, the
carvings include tuskers, horses and swans.
Despite the cultural and archaeological value of the site, visitors
have desecrated many artefacts by writing and drawing on them. Due to
this most inscriptions have been obliterated.
In the thick jungle, there is a huge block of stone, nearly 16 feet
long, with a half-carved Buddha image. All the lines on the statue are
straight and at right angle to each other and there are no details.
Archaeologists believe that apprentice sculptors had carved the
images leaving them to be perfected by master sculptors. However,
the statues remain unfinished. Even the muragala found at the site is
different from those found at other places. Here, the figure of a man
holding a pot in one hand and keeping the other hand on his hip can be
seen.
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| A cave |
Korawak gala and
Muragala entrance |
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