Ranamune Raja Pihilla, Kothmale.

Amazing! A must visit place in Kotmale. King Dutugemuni had stayed in Kotmale and had used this place to bathe and rest. The Hakmangala on which he stepped to climb on to his Elephant Kandula is right opposite the road. Better get hold of someone in the village if you need more details about King Dutugemunu's life in Kotmale. There are more places to see.

The place still has its natural beauty. Please do not destroy it using polythenes and plastics.

Great place with ancient history and situated in the middle of the paddyfield. Fresh water source that will refresh you for sure.

A place saturated with rich Sri Lankan history. While the pihilla is a must see, so is the Hakmangala rock on the other side of the road where King Dutugemunu mounted his war elephant.

Ranamune is a ancient village in Kothmale closely associated with prince Dutugemunu. After sending female jewellery to his father he ran away from his home and hid himself in a farming village known as Kotagapitiya where he lived for 12 years disguised as a helper until his fathers death.

According to “Kothmale Purawruththa” by P. B Kehelgamuwe published in 1935, there are 3 water sprouts (pihili) associated with prince Gemunu in the area. One is “Nagaha Peella” so called because it lied underneath a Na tree. The rate of the water flow never changes in this pihilla throughout the year irrespective of the weather. It has been repaired by the government and had been a popular bathing place for the villagers although the Na Tree had fallen and disappeared when the book was written (in 1935).   A close-by a rock slab which is called “Salugala” (Salu-Gala) is believed to the slab which prince Gemunu  kept his cloths (Salu-Pili) when he came to bath.

The fields which the prince Gemunu harvested lies south to the Kotagapitiya is called “Rajathala Wela” (Raja-Thala Wela). South of the Rajathalawa fileds lies the second water spring and the spout . This is situated close to a Mango Tree thus is known as “Ambagaha Peella”.

The third is the Ranamure Pihilla. It is situated close to Monaragala and Badalena where the the prince spent most of his time.   According to the tradition there is an Amuna (a measure of area) of gold buried near the spout. Thus the spout is being called Ranamune (from Ran-Amuna).   The water spout at Ranamune is built of granite and a ambalama has also been built at the site. The ambalama too is built with large granite blocks though there is no mention of this ambalama in the above publication.

The water spout and the Ambalama at Ranamure has been declared as a protected monument under the antiquities act in 2008.