KOMARIKAGALAROCK CAVE

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Apart from ruins, the so-called Kamarikagala rock cave (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 253; 1983: 255) of unspecified nature and character is currently (1974) used by bats as a day roost (Eckrich 1984, personal communication) and seems to have been modified (circa 200 BC) by Buddhist religion workers into a troglodyte hermitage retreat. SITUATION: SURVEY OF SRI LANKA (a.i., before 1984) toposheet Buttala indicates Komarikagala Rock Cave near N06°41': E081°11'30” (Everest 1830) and about 2 km in a direct line approximately SSW from the village of Kukuranpola (note 1), which is accessible by a jeepable, about 4 or 5 km long road from the village of Pelwatta Udawela (note 2), which lies on the highway A4 at a travelling distance of 4 km from Buttala (N06°45': E081°14') west towards Wellawaya (N06°44': E081°06'). CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974: 253; 1983: 255) confirms thhat the Komarikagala rock cave and ruins lie south-east of Wellawaya (N06°44': E081°06') and south-west of Buttala (N0645': E081°14'). APPROACH 1 (CT 1974: 253; 1983: 255): A rough road that is now [1974] being developed into a parallel road connecting the Uva and Southern Provinces takes off southwards from Buttala. About 2.5 miles [4 km] along this road, a path takes off to the right [sic! probabile qua: west]. This leads to the village of Kukuranpola and goes on to Telulla [note 3]. The cave is situated close to Kukuranpola. … The [walking] distance is approximately eight miles … or 13 km. APPROACH 2 (CT 1974: 253; 1983: 255): An alternative route is to turn off along a path to the south of the Wellawaya - Buttala road at the 144th milepost [km 231.7]. This path, too, leads to Kukuranpola. The [walking] distance is approximately … six miles or or 10 km. SITUATION 2: Michael Eckrich (München: Zoologisches Institut, 1984 Mss -Bat cave distribution map- without coordinate grid) indicates the bat research site Komarikagala near N06°45': E081°15' (±25 km) and thus in the scrubland (note 4) of Koarikagala (N06°41': E081°12' nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003).arikagala (N06°41': E081°12' nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003).