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Ālokalena

A cave in the cleft of a mighty primeval landslide, not far from the modern Matale in Sri Lanka. According to tradition it was here that the Buddhist scriptures were first reduced to writing in Sri Lanka under the patronage of a chieftain of King Vaṭṭagāmaṇi.

The Burmese believe that Buddhaghosa’s Commentaries (aṭṭhakathā) were also written in this spot (Mhv.xxiii.100 f. See PLC.43 f). In the eighteenth century King Vijayarājasīha built images of the Buddha in the rock cave. Cv.xcviii.65.