Ampara district is very well known for its heritage treasures, both hidden and popular tour destinations. These heritage sites are a clear representation of the extraordinary skills of our ancestors including their engineering and architectural skills. If you are someone who enjoys exploring our heritage and ins interested in searching more facts about ancient Sri Lanka, here are some clues for you to follow.
Sama Chaithya is one of the four Peace Pagodas in Sri Lanka. It is designed to promote non-violence in the community and unite for world peace. Nipponzan Monk constructed Sama Chaithya under the patronage of Nichdatsu Fujii Maha Thero. He was a Japanese Buddhist monk and founder of the Nipponzan Myohoji order of Buddhism. He is best known worldwide for his decision in 1947 to begin constructing peace pagodas in many locations around the world.
This is a very sacred and ancient temple of Buddhists. Also, a very famous tourist destination too. Buddhangala is said to be 1800 years old. Rising above the forest of North Ampara, this 150 m high hill offers panoramic views from its rocky summit. Nestled within the thick forests of Ampara district is instead an unknown temple complex of Buddhangala Monastery, built on an outcrop of five larger rocks, covering at least 1280 acres covering 5 rocks where the remains of the ancient monastery can be seen. It is among the least known historical sites in Srilanka.
Gonagolla Vihara is an ancient cave temple situated in Ampara District. The vihara is known as Punchi Sigiriya (Punchi- Little) by locals. Several inscriptions and a rock painting which is believed to belong to the 5th century AD have been found from the site. Today, only two frescoes remain on one of these caves, a female dancer and a man, painted with colors in red, yellow, green, and white. The female dancer almost identical to Sigiriya maidens and that’s how it got its name Punchi sigiriya a mini Sigiriya.
This ancient City is commonly accepted to have the most extensive collection of stone ruins in a designated area. The half-built Buddha statues, the stone waterworks that guard it (all of which still work), more than 700 ruins have been identified and documented. The stone inscriptions provide insight into civilization in ancient Sri Lanka. It is some of the most accepted validations of Buddhism's arrival to Sri Lanka. Many primary cave paintings of an unknown period and some wall paintings could be seen in this sacred area.
It is an ancient Buddhist temple situated in Ampara. In the past, this old complex has been a forest Hermitage with over 50 caves with drip ledges. The ledges indicate that these caves were home to forest-dwelling meditating Buddhist priests in the ancient past. This Hermitage is situated on a peak; the monastery is small in size compared to the other monasteries in the area. A stone-paved path leads to the monastery's entrance, which consists of a unguis 100 feet long walking path designed for meditation.
