A sacred city in Sri Lanka holds an ancient carving believed to be the world’s oldest map or an ancient stargate revealing the secrets of the Universe.
Sakwala Chakraya is an ancient carving located in Sri Lanka’s sacred city of Anuradhapura which has intrigued historians, archaeologists, and academics for over a century.
It is believed that the first to affirm the importance of this map was Harry Charles Purvis Bell (HCP Bell), a British officer appointed the first commissioner of Archeology in Ceylon (the former name of Sri Lanka).
The archeologist examined the carving, described its intricate structure, with concentric circles, squares, and symbols that suggest a profound knowledge of the universe.
In a report from 1911 HCP Bell said: “This ancient ‘map of the world’, perhaps the oldest that exists, is of extraordinary interest.
“Its presence … testifies to the antiquity of that astronomical tradition that is still practised in some of Ceylon’s Buddhist monasteries.”
He added: “It represents a cosmographic table of yesteryear that illustrates with the most naive simplicity the Buddhist notions of the universe.”
The map is said to be located in Ranmasu Uyana— a 40-acre ancient urban park surrounded by three Buddhist temples.
Unlike other carvings from the same period, it features unique symbols and geometric figures while lacking typical Buddhist iconography.
Professor Raj Somadeva, senior professor of archaeology at the University of Kelaniya, told the BBC: “Ranmasu Uyana was used for a prolonged period in history.”
“The second major developmental phase seems to have begun in the 7th Century CE.
“During that period, several new buildings were added to the earlier garden layout.
“The chart could be a work of this period, but it’s impossible to know because its existence, function or anything related to it is not mentioned in any historic records, which were meticulously kept by Buddhist monks.”
Some tourists even believe that chart is like other ancient stargates, believed to hold a secret unlocking code and conspiracy theorists have also noted similarities with stargates in Egypt and Peru, highlighting their proximity to water.
The Tissa Weva reservoir nearby is considered by some to be evidence for this theory.
The true age of Sakwala Chakraya is debated, with estimates ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 years old.
Its exact purpose and origin remain unanswered, but it remains a fascinating artifact that continues to captivates researchers and visitors to this day.