Buddhagala Monastery is located in the depths of the forest, about 7 km from Ampara. The monastery covers an area of 1280 acres, covering five rocks that can be seen in the ruins of the ancient monastery. The area belonged to the kingdom of Digamadulla and was founded by Prince Deepu in the 4th century BC. Although the origin of this monastery is not documented, Ven. Elawala Medananda Thero says that the history of the monastery is as old as the Digamadulla kingdom.
The original name of the Buddunga is unknown, and one belief is that the name was derived from the shape of the rock. Tamils and Muslims living in the surrounding area of the monastery call it “Buddhankalai”. The present Sinhala name Buddhagala is derived from the name.
The monastery became famous for the relics found during the excavation of the original stupa. In between is a 4-gold casket. There are three golden lotus flowers standing on its stems. The middle flower is the tallest and the other two stems are named “Sariputta” and “Maha Moggallana”. It is not known how the two chief sacred relics of the Buddha came to Sri Lanka. But this is believed to be donated by a private donor. The inscriptions on golden leaves are said to belong to the pre-Christian era.
A tank was built to store water for the monks. Once you get to the top rock, you can get a good view of the surroundings.
