Portugal Lena is a passage into the pre-historic Sri Lanka of nearly 125,000 years back, where excavations had unearthed evidence of an entire livelihood of hunters and gatherers and a religious establishment dating back to pre-Buddhist times.

A three km turn off from the Kirindiwela-Nittambuwa main road leads to the Alawala Potgul Viharaya , a temple premises of 60 acres enclosing three caves namely the cave of the temple or Viharalena, potgul lena or the cave of the library and the thapo lena or the cave of meditation.

The viharalena, situated closest to the temple carries two eras worth of Buddhist history in its shelter. Along its length rested a reclining Buddha of the Kandyan Era, which was reconstructed following the damages caused by treasure hunters. On either side are two seated statues, one belonging to the Anuradhapura era (377 BC) and the other to the Kandyan Era (1500s AD). A special feature of the cave is its murals. Aged illustrations of the Buddha have been drawn on a polished rock surface.

Unique Sri Lanka

Alawala Pre-Historic Archaeological Site

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