Rajagala Project Team

Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura is the only Academic Department in Sri Lanka which is capable of handling all archaeological activities namely, archaeological explorations, excavations, conversations, maintenance, management, security and public relation, the Director General of Archaeology invited the Department to take over the provision of archaeological services of the Rajagala Archaeological Reserve. An agreement was signed between the Director General of Archaeology and the Vice Chancellor of the University and the site was taken over on the 01st September 2012. The Vice-Chancellor of the University has appointed the following staff members to carry out the activities in the site.

  1. Prof. P. B. Mandawala – Director in Charge of the current AFCP project and the Consultant Director of Conservation and Maintenance
  2. Prof. Padmasiri Kannangara – Coordinating Consultant Director
  3. Prof. Karunasena Hettiarchchi – Consultant Director of Documentation and Research
  4. Dr. Alexander Kapukotuwa – Consultant Director of Archaeological Excavations
  5. Ven. Dambara Amila Thero – Coordinator of the Spiritual and Ethical Development Centre

Professor Prashantha B. Mandawala is the current Head of the Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura who will direct the project as well and serve as the Consultant Director Conservation and Maintenance of the project is a professional Architecture and Archaeology. He is a member of Sri Lanka Institute of Architects as well as a Fellow member of the Sri Lanka Council of Archaeologists. He has obtained degrees in Architecture and Archaeological Heritage Management and undergone international training in conservation of monuments and sites, Conservation of stone monuments, conservation of timber monuments and tourism development. He is also the Conservation Consultant Architect of the Conservation and Restoration of Historic Dutch Fort of Jaffna managed by the Ministry of National Heritage since March 2011.

Prof. Padmasiri Kannangara is the former Head of the Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura who will serve as the Coordinating Consultant Director of the project with the Department of Archaeology. He is an eminent historian who is a Life member of the Historical Association of Sri Lanka. He has obtained his B.A. and M.A. Degrees in History from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. He is a member of the academic staff of the Department of History and Archaeology since January 1991.

Prof. Karunasena Hettiarchchi who is an academic member of the Department of History and Archaeology since January 1991 will serve as the Consultant Director of Documentation and Research of the project. He is an eminent archaeologist specialized in inscriptions and ancient mural paintings who is a Fellow member of the Sri Lanka Council of Archaeologists and Life member of the Historical Association of Sri Lanka. He has obtained his B.A. in Degree in archaeology from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and M.Sc. degree in archaeology from the Post Graduate Institute in Archaeology, University of Kalaniya, Sri Lanka. He has served as an Excavation Supervisor and worked as the Assistant Director of Archaeology in the AbhayagiriVihara Project of the Central Cultural Fund.

Dr. Alexander Kapukotuwa who is an academic Member of the Department of History and Archaeology since July 1994 will serve as the Consultant Director of Archaeological Excavations of the project. He is an eminent archaeologist specialized in field excavations and museology who is a Fellow Member of the Sri Lanka Council of Archaeologists and Life member of the Historical Association of Sri Lanka. He has obtained his B.A. Degree in archaeology from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, M.Sc. degree in archaeology from the Post Graduate Institute in Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka and Ph.D. in Museology from Chinese Frontier Archaeological Research Centre, Jilin University, and Changchun, China. He has served as an Excavation Supervisor and worked as the Assistant Director of Archaeology in the Abhayagiri Vihara Project of the Central Cultural Fund.

Ven. DambaraAmila Thero who is an Academic Member of the Department of History and Archaeology since February 2000 will serve as the Coordinator of the Spiritual and Ethical Development Centre of the project. He is an eminent archaeologist specialized in numismatics, Indian Art History and Heritage Management who is a Fellow Member of the Sri Lanka Council of Archaeologists and Life member of the Historical Association of Sri Lanka and the Royal Asiatic Society. He has obtained his B.A. Degree in archaeology from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, M.Phil. degree in archaeology from the Post Graduate Institute in Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.