Baron's Cap or Thoppigala
Known as the Baron’s cap and Thoppigala for its distinctive shape of a hat, this rocky edged mountain was known as the PiyagalakaAgaliPawatha in an era gone by.
Situated nearly 40 km away from Batticaloa, amidst a thick jungle, Thoppigala had played many a roles in Sri Lankan history. Archeological evidence suggests that the rocky mountain and the surrounding jungle had been the venue of a large monastery built during the Anuradhapura era. Stone inscriptions found atop the mountain details various donations made by King KanishtaThissas to the monastery complex.
According to prominent Archeologist Ven. EllawalaMedhanandaThera, few signs of the monastery were found around Thoppigala during an expedition made in 1983 including the remains of a stupa atop a rock in the mountain. Yet the war, which engulfed the whole of Eastern and Northern Sri Lanka since early 1980s, prevented further archeological investigation, causing loss of another important archeological monument to the countr...
Situated nearly 40 km away from Batticaloa, amidst a thick jungle, Thoppigala had played many a roles in Sri Lankan history. Archeological evidence suggests that the rocky mountain and the surrounding jungle had been the venue of a large monastery built during the Anuradhapura era. Stone inscriptions found atop the mountain details various donations made by King KanishtaThissas to the monastery complex.
According to prominent Archeologist Ven. EllawalaMedhanandaThera, few signs of the monastery were found around Thoppigala during an expedition made in 1983 including the remains of a stupa atop a rock in the mountain. Yet the war, which engulfed the whole of Eastern and Northern Sri Lanka since early 1980s, prevented further archeological investigation, causing loss of another important archeological monument to the countr...
