Ampara | Magul Maha temple (Magul Maha viharaya)

Meditation, Pilgrimage,Photography, Archeology.It is a place where history was made when the daughter of King Kelanitissa, the ruler of the Kelaniya kingdom married the King of Rohana, King Kavantissa, which unified the southern parts of Sri Lanka in the Second Century BC.Built to celebrate this union which was to change the face of Sri Lankan history forever, MagulMahaViharaya hosts many characteristics not found in many a temple. 

Situated in Lahugala, amidst an elephant infested forest reserve of LahugalaKithulana, MagulMahaViharaya carries the look of a lost city hidden amidst the towering trees of the jungle.The 200-acre archaeological site scattered with temple complexes and granaries sets it apart from any other temple and had been the home to 12,000 arahants some 2000 years ago. It also had been designed to serve the purpose of a monastery and a fortress where food, weapons and animals were kept in preparation for the Dutugemunu-Elara war fought against an invading Tamil King from South India. The temple complex itself consists of three courtyards, exterior, interior and centre. The outer yard comprises a heavy stone wall with seven ponds which provided water to the temple. The interior was house to the bhikshus who inhabited the temple, while the central courtyard comprises of the main interests of the temple.