Puliyankulama monastery

Puliyankulama (Puliyankulam) is an ancient Buddhist monastery lying on the outskirts of Anuradhapura on the Anuradhapura – Rambewa road (towards Jaffna), about 1.4 kilometers away from the Jaffna Junction in Anuradhapura. This site is known as Puliyankulama Ruins. The archaeology Department nameboard identifies this site as “Pubbarama Archeological Reserve”. The site is not being properly maintained and is covered with tall grass and bushes. This is probably due to this site not being a popular attraction and the lack of knowledge of the site by the general public.

Puliyankulama is made in the form of a pabbatha vihara architecture. Archaeologists believe that Pabbata Vihara were built merging with a natural rock formation. These are built by arranging several rectangular building areas (courtyards) at different levels surrounded by water. In the upper courtyard itself are the four sacred buildings arranged in specific order.

The basic feature of these monasteries is a large rectangular precinct or sacred quadrangle which contains the four major shrines, a stupa, a bodhighara, a patimaghara and a prasada which has been identified as the uposathaghara.

An inscription recovered from the shrine complex of the monastery at Puliyankulama refers to this monastery as Uda-Kitagbopavu (Udaya-Kittaggabodhi-Pabbata) and further states that the vihara was dedicated to the monks who came from Puvaram-vehera (Pubbrama).