About 12km west of Pottuvil lies this evocative 5th-century-BC ruin, set in a peaceful forested spot. Built by King Dhatusena (473–453 BC), the site was probably part of a royal compound. At the foot of a former shrine is a beautiful and well-preserved moonstone; ringed with elephants, it’s unusual for having little riders atop some of them. The site is 1km south of the A4 between 308 Km and 309 Km posts.
There's also an elevated stupa, in good condition and guarded by stone lions, a vatadage (circular relic house) on a cross-shaped platform that – in a stroke of ancient trompe l’oeil – is ‘supported’ by the stone pillars and crouched lions around its base, and a crudely patched up headless Buddha. Note the streamlined elephant-trunk railings along the site’s staircases.
A little further west, between the 309 Km and 310 Km posts is Kotawehera, the ruined remains of an ancient brick stupa, which enjoys a magnificent situation upon a hilltop. On a clear day there are spectacular vistas over forests to the wetlands around Pottuvil Lagoon.
