Situlpahuwa - ancient temple ruins in Yala

Situlpahuwa in the area of Yala National Park is probably the most attractive archaeological site in southern Sri Lanka. There are various spellings of the Sinhales name, for example Sithulpahuwa or Situlpawwa. The original Pali name of the ancient Buddhist monastery often mentioned in the chronicles was ‚Chittala Pabbatha‘, which translates to ‚hill of the calm mind‘. The name refers to legends of Arhats once inhabiting this lovely place. Situlpahuwa is said to have been inhabited by thousands of such enlightened beings at one time.

Situlpahuwa is a combination of ruins of ancient buildings, cave temples and restored stupas on summits of rocky hills. The valley in between the two major rocks of the former monastic compound has a picturesque ancient reservoir. Situlpahuwa is the finding place of several Buddhist statues from the Anuradhapura period, some of which are still in situ. They are influenced by Mahayana Buddhism. Important historical inscriptions, some of which attributed to the pre-Christian centuries, can be seen in Situlpahuwa, too.