Although sparsely inhabited today due to the aftermath of the civil war, Lahugala is a town positively saturated with historical significance in reference to the Kingdom of Rohana, due to its geographical proximity to Magama, the Capitol of Rohana.
The Magul Maha Vihara is a site of upmost historical importance. Situated in the Lahugala forest reserve a few kilometers east of town, this too is a temple complex spread over many acres of land. Legend has it that his holy site witnessed the betrothal of Queen Vihara Maha Devi, to the King of Rohana, Kavanthissa. Historical evidence, however goes to elaborate that the temple existed well before that stretching to a few centuries BC.
The path to the temple lies astride its giant twin ponds. Ruined stone steps lie on either side of the pathway, along with the stone slabs forming the embankment of each pond on either side. The opalescent pools of placid water gives the surroundings an ethereal glow. The water appears frozen in time as dawn breaks over the canopy. The lack of the slightest ripple on the surface makes it a polished mirror reflecting the treeline in perfect symmetry. A tiny stupa sits atop a rocky outcropping nearby, and the calm is broken by the haunting call of a lone peacock who alights on an overhanging branch, drying the dew off his lustrous body. The monkeys begin their daily business, soon the trees are alive with their banter. The calm and serenity of the place, and the feel of the forest is otherworldly and timeless, to say the least.
Deeper still into the forest lies the boundary of the temple complex. A large area spread over many acres, the boundary is demarcated by a sturdy stone and brick wall well over 3 feet in thickness. There are four entrances to the temple, facing the four directions. We enter from the Northern gateway, and its well worn steps indicate that it may have been a main entrance. This is further cemented by the fact that steps and carvings on the Eastern and Western gates are in much better shape than their counterparts.
The ruins of an image house and another building lie close to the entrance. A fallen Buddha statue lies within the image house, and restoration work is currently under way to restore it to its former glory. The examples of stonemasonry and carving found here at this site are some of the most exquisite I have come across in Sri Lanka. One such example is the large slab forming the foyer floor of the image house. The delicacy of its artwork makes me feel a criminal to even trod on it to enter. Another such fine example is the moonstone unearthed near the other building found nearby. This is the only one of kind yet unearthed in Sri Lanka, which depicts in its distal circus, a sequence of elephants with each alternative animal being ridden by a mahout. Although numerous animals such as horses, and lions have appeared in various moonstones before and after this era, this is the only one thus far depicting a rider. It is thought that this belongs to a more recent era, as the bull and horse are absent.
The stupa lies atop a quadrangular podium made of stone blocks. It appears to have had a roof over it, as the corner-stones of the podium have a circular indentation cut into them to house a stone base for a wooden pillar.
The Bodhi-gara, or Bo-tree enclave is another stone-carved masterpiece. Made entirely of cut and polished granite, it has an inner stone ring in which the Bo tree would have been located, and an outer boundary, with its walls rich in carvings. Folklore describes this as the site of the wedding ceremony of King Kavantissa and Queen Vihara Maha Devi. The veracity of this is doubtful, as there is no historical evidence to support the same. Be that as it may, the Kings name does appear frequently in reference to many ruins in the area, and thus his involvement at some level with this site lies within the realms of plausibility.
Two stone tablets found on site act as standalone guides to the history of this Vihara, as the writings contained within them are not corroborated by any historical text or tablet found to date. They describe this as being the work of King Dhatusena, who at the time names it “Roonu (Ruhunu) Maha Vihara”. It had fallen into disuse and eventually been abandoned by the clergy before being fully refurbished, reconstructed and gifted to the Maha Sangha by a “Vihara Maha Devi.” Some doubt remains over whether this is the Vihara Maha Devi, Dutugemunu’s mother, because the tablet proceeds to mention that she was the chief consort of the Perakumba Brothers with whom she fought united to quell the Chola uprising at the time. As per recorded history, the Chola invasion began in the era of King Mahinda V. Their armies invaded from the north and conquered southwards, with a reign of terror spanning over 96 years. However no references in history are made to the two Brothers Parakrama who, as per the tablet, defeated the Chola invaders and upheld the sovereignty of Rohana, together with their consort Vihara Maha Devi. From here on only assumptions as to their identity can be made. Ven. Ellawala Medhananda believes that it may refer to Prince Parakrama Pandya, who was one of the princes of Rohana during this period, but that leaves the question of who his unnamed brother was, as well as the mysterious lady with her famous name. Prof. Senarath Paranavithana believes that this may be a reference to King Parakramabahu V and Buwanekabahu IV of the Gampola Era, as the writing style and syntax of the tablet matches the period. But the Devi still remains very much a mystery. Whoever she may have been, it is obvious beyond a shadow of doubt that she was instrumental in upholding the sovereignty of Rohana and possibly the entire country, and we owe her and the “Brothers Perakumba” a debt of gratitude for that as well as gifting their future generations with such a wonderful slice of history.
