Tiriyaya Archives

Mahakanadarawa Stone Bridge – skilled craftsmanship of yesteryear – By Arundathie Abeysinghe Centuries ago, Sri Lankans had well-planned infrastructure, irrigation systems including well-constructed tanks supplying water for agricultural purposes, architectural marvels such as cave temples, dagobas (stupas), well-designed palaces, meditation houses, audience halls and a superior road network as well as bridges… During the early period of the Anuradhapura Kingdom, the main administrative centers were *Anuradhapura and Magama in *Ruhuna with a highway linking these two cities. A road network also connected Anuradhapura with Jambukolapattana (Dambakola Patuna) in the Jaffna Peninsula, Mathota or Mahatitta (also known as Manthai) near Mannar and *Trincomalee (known as Gokanna). These three ports served as the most significant trade centers. Anuradhapura-Dambakolapatuna Road was via the villages of Rambeva, Omanthai, Pavatkulam and Vavunikulam. There were several stone bridges including those in close proximity to Anuradhapura over the Malwathu Oya (“Oya” meaning stream in Sinhala) and another ...

ANCIENT TREASURES OF THE EASTERN SEABOARD – By Bernard VanCuylenburg There is a treasure trove of archaeological wonders in the Eastern seaboard of Sri Lanka and one specific location is the Kuchchaveli, Pulmoddai and Tiriyaya district of Trincomalee. And that brief introductory line is the genesis of this article. I walked through the desolate track through patches of thick shrub and dense forest, my curiosity aroused by some stone slabs and granite pillars which lay scattered in disarray on the forest floor. Ocassionally I came across ancient brickwork which I surmised may have once been part of a wall. The villagers in the area told me that further on, in deep jungle there were statues of the Buddha badly damaged. This did not surprise me because there is an inscription that this whole area was occupied by members of the Buddhist clergy since the 3rd century B.C. It was late in ...