Hatthikuchchi

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Hatthikuchchi Viharaya

Hatthikuchchi ruins.jpg

Ruins of the Temple Complex at Hatthikuchchi
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Hatthikuchchi Viharaya
Coordinates: 8°2′3″N80°16′6″E / 8.03417°N 80.26833°E / 8.03417; 80.26833 Coordinates: 8°2′3″N80°16′6″E / 8.03417°N 80.26833°E / 8.03417; 80.26833
Country Sri Lanka
Province North Western Province
Time zone Sri Lanka Standard Time Zone (UTC+5:30)
  Summer (DST) Summer time (UTC+6)

Hatthikuchchi Viharaya is a ruined ancient temple complex situated on the northern border of the North Western Province (Wayamba), Sri Lanka 3.5 km away from the Mahagalkadawala junction on the PadeniyaAnuradhapura (A28) road.

North Western Province, Sri Lanka Province in Sri Lanka

North Western Province is a province of Sri Lanka. The districts of Kurunegala and Puttalam formulate Wayamba. Its capital is Kurunegala, which has a population of 28,571. The province is known mainly for its numerous coconut plantations. Other main towns in this province are Chilaw (24,712) and Puttalam (45,661), which are both small fishing towns. The majority of the population of Wayamba province is of Sinhalese ethnicity. There is also a substantial Sri Lankan Moor minority around Puttalam and Sri Lankan Tamils in Udappu and Munneswaram. Fishing, prawn farming and rubber tree plantations are other prominent industries of the region. The province has an area of 7,888 km², and a population of 2,370,075.

Sri Lanka Island country in South Asia

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an island country in South Asia, located in the Indian Ocean to the southwest of the Bay of Bengal and to the southeast of the Arabian Sea. The island is historically and culturally intertwined with the Indian subcontinent, but is geographically separated from the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait. The legislative capital, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, is a suburb of the commercial capital and largest city, Colombo.

Padeniya is a village in Sri Lanka. It is located within Central Province.

Contents

Name

Ruined Stupa at Hatthikuchchi Hatthikuchchi tomb.jpg
Ruined Stupa at Hatthikuchchi

The name 'Hatthikuchchi' (හත්ථිකුච්චි in Sinhalese) is a pali word meaning 'Elephant Stomach' (Hasthi - Elephant, Kuchchi - Stomach). Its closest Sinhalese name is 'ඇත්කුස් වෙහෙර' 'Eth Kus wehera' (Eth - Elephant, Kus - Stomach). This names has been given because of a large rock inside the temple complex which resembles an elephant.

Falling Rock at Hatthikuchchi. By the old road towards Anuradhapura Hatthikuchchi rock.jpg
Falling Rock at Hatthikuchchi. By the old road towards Anuradhapura

History and archeology

The Temple complex is considered to have been built by King Devanampiyatissa (307–267 BC) and one of the oldest Buddhist temple complexes in the country. Later for various reasons this complex was forgotten and by the time of king Sirisangabo this was covered with jungle.

Siri Sangha Bodhi I was King of Anuradhapura in the 3rd century, whose reign lasted from 252 to 254. He succeeded Sangha Tissa I as King of Anuradhapura and was succeeded by Gothabhaya.

It has been taken into consideration that this was the location where King Sirisangabo (251–253 AD) offered his own head to a peasant. Previously it was widely considered that this incident took place at Attanagalla in Gampaha district now most scholars have raised the argument that this must be the place that it really took place.

Attanagalla is an electorate in Gampaha District, situated in the Western Province of Sri Lanka.

Gampaha City in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka

Gampaha is an urban city in Gampaha District, Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is situated to the north-east of the capital Colombo. It is the sixth largest urban area in Western Province, after Colombo, Negombo, Kalutara, Panadura and Avissawella. Gampaha is also the second largest municipal centre in Gampaha district, after Negombo. Gampaha has a land area of 25.8 ha and is home to the offices of 75 government institutions.

Main reason for this idea was that, in the story it says the peasant walked half a day from Anuradhapura towards the south where he met the former king Sirisangabo. Since 'Hatthikuchchi Viharaya' is only 38.5 km from Anuradhapura rather than Attanagalla which is 170 km from Anuradhapura there is a better chance this is the actual place the incident took place.

Anuradhapura City in North Central Province, Sri Lanka

Anuradhapura is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central Province, Sri Lanka and the capital of Anuradhapura District. Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of an ancient Sri Lankan civilization. It was the third capital of the kingdom of Rajarata, following the kingdoms of Tambapanni and Upatissa Nuwara.

Supporting this facts there is a tomb which is considered to have the ashes of the king Sirisangabo. In this tomb the tombstone which is built from bricks resembling a human body have a granite sphere as the head piece since it was missing in the dead body.

Excavations are still under way at the site and more ruins are yet to be found which are covered with the jungle.

Vihara inscriptions

There are more than fifty rock inscriptions have been identified on the vihara rock and its base, dating from 2nd to 9th centuries AD. Among them several inscriptions, called Vaharala, mention the freeing of slaves from compulsory service.

Hattikuchchi rock inscription

Period: 2nd century AD, Script: Later Brahmi, Language: Old Sinhala
Content: "Mentions donations made for the maintenance of the chapter house at Hattikuchchi Vihara"

See also

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