Gonagolla Punchi Sigiriya

A set of frescoes identical to the the frescoes of Sigiriya Ancient Fortress lies in a remote temple in Gonagolla. This temple is called Punchi Sigiriya due the frescoes.

This site is in Kotmale Canal Colony in Wewagampattuwa Divisional Secretariat Division of Ampare District. The Kotmale Colony is about 3 miles east of Kohombana Junction on Ampara – Gonagolla Road. Among the rock boulders, there are two small caves which had been adorned with with images of males and females in the ancient past.

Today only two frescoes remain on one of the caves, a female dancer and a man, painted with colours in red, yellow, green and white. The female dancer almost identical to Sigiriya maidens, curved and shapely, her eyes downcast, she clasps her hands together, worshiping the male figure beside her. According to inscriptions on the rocks these frescoes has been dated back to 3rd century. Two more cave in the temple contains rock inscriptions belonging to the 3-4th centuries and 4-5th centuries respectively. In addition to the caves, remains of an ancient stupa, remnents of a watadage and massive stone pillars of what would have been large buildings can be seen scattered around the Gonagolla cave temple.