NUWARAGALA CAVE 1

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

In addition to what is either a rock shelter (gala) (DERANIYAGALA 1965: 144) or cave just below the summit (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1983: 236) of the -Town's Rock- known as Nuvara gala (DERANIYAGALA 1965) or as Nuwaragala (note 1), there is a large artificial rock pool, 72 feet [22 m] by 59 feet [18 m] and 5 1/2 feet [1.8 m] deep (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1983: 236) on the summit itself. Compare –>Kanaátwela Galge and –>Wauwuwela Galge in the same vicinity. SITUATION 1: At an unspecified location somewhere in the jungle south-east of the town of Maha Oya (note 2) SITUATION 2: Judging from the Map of the southern part of Ceylon, showing the location of caves (lena) and rock shelters (galgé) (DERANIYAGALA 1965: 144 figure 21) compared with the Road Map of Sri Lanka (Survey Deaprtment 1977): About 5 km in a diect line west of the prominent Friar's Hood (note 3). APPROACH: The route is from Maha Oya (N07°32': E081°21') south-east for 10 km along a motorable road to the Veddah village of Pollebada / Pollebedda (N07°28': E081°23'), from where the buried city on the rock is reached by an 8 km walk through dense jungle (a knowledgeable Veddah guide is essential) on a path that takes off to the left (sic) of the road at Pollebedda crossing the Rambukkan oya. CULTURAL HISTORY - rock art (epigraphy): CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974: ?; 1983: 236): Brahmi inscriptions in a cave just below the summit indicate that it was occupied in the 2nd century BC.a / Pollebedda (N07°28': E081°23'), from where the buried city on the rock is reached by an 8 km walk through dense jungle (a knowledgeable Veddah guide is essential) on a path that takes off to the left (sic) of the road at Pollebedda crossing the Rambukkan oya. CULTURAL HISTORY - rock art (epigraphy): CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974: ?; 1983: 236): Brahmi inscriptions in a cave just below the summit indicate that it was occupied in the 2nd century BC.