By Sapumal Jayasena

The world famous Fa-Hsien rock cave at Pahiyangala in Kalutara district is under threat of facing a landslide in the future.

Fa-Hsien is a massive rock cave in which about 3,000 people had lived. It is considered the biggest rock cave in Sri Lanka. It was a human habitat in prehistoric era also and a fossilized ancient human skeleton and other evidence of ancient civilization were found there.

Prof. Kenneth Kennedy of Cornell University of the United States said the human skeleton discovered in the Pahiyangala cave was the oldest discovered so far. It is a complete skeleton which is 58,000 years old. A number of human skulls older than 30,000 years were also discovered there. In addition, a large number of stone tools were also discovered.

Pahiyangala has been named after Fa-Hsien (337 – c.422), a Chinese Bhikkhu who travelled on foot from China to India, visiting many sacred Buddhist sites. The entrance to the cave is 282 feet wide and 175 feet tall.

Prof. Kennedy points out that Pahiyangala is the only place in which the continuous historical evidence has been found in a period between 30,000 to 60,000 years. It is like a world heritage which is hiding many facts about human evolution.

Even though Sri Lankans and rulers are less concerned about the landslide threat, the archaeologists are shocked with the news.

The chief incumbent of Pahiyangala temple Ven. Pahiyangala Ananda Sagara Thera said the pieces of rock fallen from the ceiling of the cave were found even under 55 feet. The human skeleton was discovered six feet under the soil.

According to Prof. Kennedy, the excavations so far have not discovered at least 1 per cent of the facts hidden there.

The next hill connected to the mountain in which Pahiyangala is situated slided burying 21 people last week. The reasons for the landslides have been cited as uprooting of rubber trees, tea bushes and the heavy use of weedkillers.

Cracks in the ground in Pahiyangala cave were studied by the National Building Research Organization officers in a field survey and 21 families and 39 Bhikkhus were advised to move away from the landslide prone area.

Ven. Pahiyangala Ananda Sagara Thera has urged the authorities to conserve the cave which is a world heritage with technical assistance from foreign experts

Courtesy:Ceylon Today