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Samanabedda Cave Temple – abode for meditating monks – By Arundathie Abeysinghe Situated off the beaten track in Uhana in *Ampara–Mahaoya main road approximately six kilometers (3.7 miles) away from Ampara town, amidst spectacular forests, Samanabedda Cave Temple has served as an abode for meditating monks. Samanabedda Cave Temple also known as “Samanabedda Purana Gal Len Viharaya (meaning Cave Temple in Sinhala) Department of Archaeology has declared the Temple Complex as an archaeological site. Ruins of a massive cave temple are scattered in the forest. Yet, proper archeological investigations of the Temple Complex have not been carried to date and many ruins in the location remain unexplored. Drip ledged caves of diverse sizes designed as abodes for meditating monks and a ruined stupa (dagoba) with stone pillars are engulfed by jungle. There are also base stones, debris of old structures on the rock plateau located towards west of the stupa. ...