via Sunday Observer, 10 December 2023: The Sapumalgaskada Raja Maha Vihara, a Buddhist monastery complex in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, represents the rich cultural heritage of the region. Located in a tranquil forested terrain, the temple, believed to date back to the second century AD, has been unearthed by archaeologists. This significant discovery includes ruins of a monastery, believed to have housed the sacred Tooth Relic, and a moat surrounding the main monastic area. The excavation, which began in 2021, has revealed various structures including a stupa, image houses, and Uposathagara.
Sapumalgaskada is a forested terrain in the Northern Province, about 35 kilometres away from Vavuniya. This sacred site is in a forested area about three kilometres away from the villages of Kalebogaswewa in the Vavuniya North Divisional Secretariat division.
Inscriptions reveal that the area was called Uttara Passa according to the old divisions. Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Killinochchi and Jaffna belonged to Uttara Passa. According to the Vallipuram Gold Plate inscription, the Jaffna peninsula was known as Nakadipa (Nagadeepa) during the early Anuradhapura period.
