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Kingdom of Ruhuna's District of
Monastic Settlement of Situlapahuwa
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 Situlapahuwa, part of the ancient kingdom of Ruhuna and situated in the present day Yala National Park, is a second century monastic settlement which once housed over 12,000 inhabitants including thousands of buddhist monks. Recently the area has been restored with its majestic renovated dagobas "stupas" and is considered an important place of pilgrimage for pilgrims travelling on the way to kataragama and in the image below we see the remains of an asana "raised seat or platform" that was used by monks in the instruction of the teachings or "dharma". Situlapahuwa's name was derived from the ancient Cittalpabbata, meaning the "hill of the quiet mind". Monks and nuns who were seeking silence and solitude came to this place to practice and at one time (circa 1st Century AD) it is said that around 12,000 Arahants resided here.  The monastery complex comprises of a cave temple, preaching hall, numerous drip edge caves with donor inscriptions and two rock-top dagobas with a small tank "lake" in between and from the top of the rocky outcrops one can look out across the Ruhuna landscape of the Yala Jungle. Situlapahuwa was known for its piety and good scholarship and during its time thousands of monks lived, trained and meditated here. Nearby and higer up through the forest is a small dagoba situated on another rocky outcrop that is also part of the site and is called Kuda Situlapahuwa or "Little Situlapahuwa" and the climb to this dagoba is up a steep path with a rickety handrail.
Around the area we find the restored Magul Mahavihara temple and the Akasa Chetiya shrine which date to around the first and second centuries BC. Magul Maha Vihara in Lahugala was built on the spot where King Kavantissa & Vihara Maha Devi were married and in Sinhalese magul means 'wedding'. The story goes that Princess Vihara Maha Devi was the daughter of King Kelanitissa of Maya Rata who had offered her as a sacrifice to appease the wrath of the sea-gods when the sea waters threatened to drown villages. She was cast out to sea on a golden canoe but instead of dying the canoe was washed up upon the Ruhuna shores and King Kavantissa on finding out she was a beautiful princess, married her. 
Some of the oldest Brahmi rock inscriptions and rock carvings in Lanka have also been discovered in the area along with cave dwellings for monks pre dating the christian era. Though many remains are now obscured by the rocky jungle forests, there is a noticeable absence of inscriptions, architecture and sculptures dating after the 10th Century AD and it is inferred that some kind of de-population of the area occurred. The cause is unknown and no chronicles mention anything about it though it is quite possible that environmental factors played a significant role. 
Today the ruins of Situlapahuwa are contained within the Yala National Park. Its a very picturesque area of rocky ridges, rock pools and lakes with flat jungles partially bordering on the Indian ocean where wild elephants, leopards, sloth bears, spotted deer, crocodiles and monkeys roam.
There is also over 130 different species of birds and its one of those timeless places in nature. So its not hard to imagine the quiet attraction held for this place especially by those seeking to become free of the world.
Sources: Padayatra Pilgrims Yala Village Yala National Park Wikipedia Images & Design: Wiki Commons Sun Wukong Tang 
The Articles of Monastic Settlement of Situlapahuwa:
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