Kingdom of Ruhuna

The Kingdom of Ruhuna was a medieval era Sinhala kingdom located in southern part of Sri Lanka. The capital was known as Magama, near modern Tissamaharama in the Southern Province. The boundaries of the Kingdom of Ruhuna are Mahaveli River from North, and Kalu Ganga River from North West.

Ancient history of Sri Lanka

The Pali chronicles, the Dipavamsa, Mahavamsa, Thupavamsa[7] and the Chulavamsa as well as a large collection of stone inscriptions,[8] the Indian Epigraphical records, the Burmese versions of the chronicles etc., provide an exceptional record for the history of Sri Lanka from about the 6th century B.C.
The Mahavamsa, written around 400 AD by the monk Nagasena, using the Deepavamsa, the Attakatha and other written sources available to him, correlates well with Indian histories of the period. Indeed Emperor Ashoka's reign is recorded in the Mahavamsa. The Mahavamsa account of the period prior to Asoka's coronation, (218 years after the Buddha's death) seems to be part legend. History proper begins with the arrival of Vijaya and his 700 followers. Vijaya, is a Kalinga (ancient Orissa, India) prince, the eldest son of King Sinhabahu ("Man with Lion arms") and his sister Queen Sinhasivali. Both these Sinhala leaders were born of a mythical union between a lion and a human princess. The Mahavamsa claims that Vijaya landed on the same day as the death of the Buddha (See Geiger's preface to Mahavamsa). The story of Vijaya and Kuveni (the local reigning queen) is reminiscent of Greek legend, and may have a common source in ancient Proto-Indo-European folk tales.[9]
According to the Mahavamsa, Vijaya landed on Sri Lanka near Mahathitha (Manthota or Mannar[10]), and named[citation needed] the Island "Thambaparni" ('copper-colored palms). This name is attested in Ptolemy's map of the ancient world.
Tamirabharani is the old name for the second longest river in Sri Lanka (known as Malwatu Oya in Sinhala and Aruvi Aru in Tamil). This river was a main supply route connecting the capital, Anuradhapura to Mahathitha (Mannar). The waterway was used by Greek and by Chinese ships travelling the southern Silk Route.
Mahathitha was an ancient port linking Sri Lanka to India and the Persian gulf,[11].
The present day Sihalese (and many modern Tamils) are a mixture of the indegenous people and of other peoples who came to the island from various parts of India. The Sinhalese recognize the Vijayan Indo-Aryan culture and Buddism (already in existence prior to the arrival of Vijaya), as distinct from other groups in neighbouring south India.

Sri Lankan history

The chronicle records and archaeological discoveries of human beings and their events which happened in an area known as Sri Lanka is called the History of Sri Lanka. The number of archaeological evidences and chronicles written by Sri Lankans and non-Sri Lankans, exploring the history of more than 10,000 years.
The archaeological discovery of the Balangoda Man providing the evidences of a 30,000 years past civilization. With the famous chronicles of Sri Lanka, the Mahawansa, the Dipavamsa, the Culavamsa and the Rajaveliya which has the recorded Sri Lankan history from the beginnings of the Sinhalese monarchy in the 6th century BC to the arrival of European Colonialists in the sixteenth century, up until the disestablishment of the monarchy in 1815. There are some historical records about the country also included in the famous Indian chronicles of sage Valmiki's Ramayana, Mahabharata and the ancient books of Gautama Buddha's teachings.

stone guard couple

Heritage

Heritage of wellassa

BUDDURUWAGALA

The tallest Buddha statue sculpted out of the rock in this country is the Buduruwagala upright Buddha statue by way of height as well as the width. it is 51 feet. the Buddha statue may have been completed subsequently. and the statue of Avalokithesvara would have been sculpted during 8th &10th centuries.can reach to Buduruwagala from Colombo via Rathnapura Balangoda,Koslanda about 222km.

Heritage

DABEGODA BOSATH STATUE

The Walking Distance From The Maligawila Buddha Statue To Dabegoda Bosath Statue That Is Another Wonder And Feet Is 34.This Statue Could Be Dated To The 7th Century. And Archaeologists Believe Both Malagawila And Dabegoda May Have Belonged To A Single Monastic Complex. That There Had Been a Hospital to Cure the Blind Here.

KATARAGAMA

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Kataragama is one of the 16 principal places of Buddhist pilgrimage to be visited in Sri Lanka. According to the chronicle of Sri Lankan history the Mahawamsa, when the Bo-sapling or Pipil tree sapling under which Gotama Buddha attained enlightenment in North India was brought to the city of Anuradhapura 2,300 years ago, the warriors or Kshatriyas from Kataragamawere present on the occasion to pay homage and respect.The Buddhist Kiri Vehera Dagoba which stands in close proximity to the Hindu temple was builtby the King Mahasena. According to the legend, Lord Buddha, on his third and the last visit to Sri Lanka, was believed to have met the King Mahasena who ruled over the Kataragama area in 580 BC. Thus the local Sinhalese Buddhists believe that Kataragama was sanctified by Lord Buddha. The King met the Lord Buddha and listened to the Buddha's discourse and as a token of gratitude, the Dagoba was built on that exact spot where it now stand