Bowattegala Caves in Kumana, Sri Lanka, are ancient Buddhist monastic caves with inscriptions dating from the pre-Christian era to the 7th century AD.
Bowattegala Caves (Kumana) B owattegala Len Viharaya (Sinhala: බෝවත්තේගල නටඹුන් ලෙන් විහාරය) is an abandoned Buddhist monastery site (a cave temple) situated within the woods of Kumana National Park in Ampara District, Sri Lanka. History As evident by the cave and rock inscriptions in-situ, Bowattegala was an important Buddhist monastery site for centuries before it falling into ruins (Paranavitana, 1983). A number of caves, mostly with drip-ledges and inscriptions, are found scattered in the site. Some of the caves have the remains of walls. Inscriptions that have been discovered from the site are belonging to the pre-Christian era as well as to the reigns of King Bhatiya Tissa II (140-164 A.D.) and Jettatissa II [(331-340 A.D.) Dias, 1991; Hettiarachchi, 1990; Paranavitana, 1970; Paranavitana, 1983]. Among them, the inscription of King Jettatissa II helped historians to ascertain that he was a son of King Mahasena [(277-304 A.D.) Dias, 1991]. Later inscriptions at this site indicate that the monastery was in a …
