Menikdena Archeological Reserve is a ruined Buddhist site situated in Atha Bendiwewa village in Matale. It was popular in the past as Budgam Vehera.
Menikdena Archeological Reserve M enikdena Archeological Reserve (Sinhala: මැණික්දෙන පුරාවිද්යා රක්ෂිතය) is a ruined Buddhist site situated in Atha Bendiwewa village in Matale District, Sri Lanka. It was popular among ancients by the name of Budgam Vehera (Uduwara, 1990). History The history of this site runs back to the 3rd century B.C. (Abeyawardana, 2004). It is believed that one of the Kshatriya families who accompanied the Sri Maha Bodhi tree had settled down in the Menikdena area (Abeyawardana, 2004). A slab containing an inscription of the 8th-9th centuries A.D. has been found on this monastery site. It records the grant by a resident of Koboyatela of fields named Mahadenavulu to Buthgamu Viharaya (or Budgam Vehera) which is believed to be the ruined monastery at the present Menikdena site (Nicholas, 1963). As mentioned in the chronicles, King Vijayabahu I (1055-1110 A.D.) captured the Cola fort at Buddhagama (probably present Menikdena) and Parakramabahu I (1153-1186 A.D.) made this area his first headquarters …
