een found by the road side (ASCAR1892). These ruins are inferred to be either market stalls or store houses for goods bound for exportation. Similar features have been identified along the main market street in Polonnaruva outer city area. This same market route led toward the ports of Gokanantittha (Trincomalee) and Lankapattana and other smaller ports situated to the south of Gokanantittha from Polonnaruva (Vidanapathirana, 2016).
Road connection between Rajarata to Magama from the time of king Kavantissa in 2nd century BC has been recorded on Mahavamsa on several occasions. Certain place names mentioned in Mahavamsa when describing the road followed by king Dutugamunu leading the forces from Magama in Rohana-desa to Anuradhapura seems to agree with certain place names identified with the ancient southern highway(Mv25.11;Pu.:28;Tu 146) Fixing of gavukanu by the road side mark the distance during king Nissankamalla. This is an indication to prove that there had been a constant use of an established road system in the country (Hocart,1929:1-12)). Often this road had been familiarised by the royals of Anuradhapura to visit Mahiyangana temple. According to Mahavamsa, the construction of Mahiyangana stupa had been patronised by a brother of king Devanampiyatissa. Since the completion of this construction the stupa had been renovated by several kings up to the reign of king Prakkramabahu VI (1412-1467) (Mv1.24,40,42,25.7-8;Tu:50’Vp98-100,473;Sbo:212;Pu:736; Paranavitana, 1955:177-195;). Hopitigamuva inscription by king Kassapa IV (946-954) says that Mahiyangana temple had remained a significant land mark on the way to Rohana-desa (Paranavitana,1933:71-78)). Discovery of a gavukanu at the village Valigatta proves that the road continued even beyond Magama up to the Godavaya port of the southern coast (Hocart 1929, 1930: plate LXXIII. ; Codrington 1930:129-136. ; Paranavitana1944:161).
Evidence of Infrastructure
In understanding the expansion and extension of a road network techniques employed in the construction of resting places and crossing points are significant clues. Construction of permanent stone bridges across the rivers is an archaeological evidence of a well established road system. In accordance with the geographical location wooden bridges were constructed on rock lying under the river. Still remaining infrastructural features are the stone and wooden bridges ambalam or resting houses, gavukanu or distant marking, wells, temples and small tanks. By the Grand trunk road running from Pataluputra to Peshawar (Purushupura) pillars were installed after every 2.5 miles for the convenience of travellers (K A. vol2:.53;Needham, 1971:.5-6;Rahman Dar 2000:159-160,179) Those pillars were identical with present day mile posts (kos miner).
From the remains found in some main roads in Sri Lanka it is understood that the same technique had been practised in country too. Isolated stone pillars found to the north of Abhyagiriya on the ancient western high way to Mahatittha road and the stone pillar discovered by Bell as a gavu pillar close to Vijayarama temple complex (north of Anuradhapura city) are some of the remaining evidence to say that the technique followed in India has been followed in Sri Lanka too (Bell,1892:3-4). This is further understood from the gavu pillars discovered from the main road within the city limits of Anuradhapura and those found by the southern high way supposed to have been fixed during Polonnaruva period (Vidanapathirana, 2016). According the practise of setting gavu pillars had been a continuing practise in Sri Lanka. Apart from the about archaeological evidences regarding the fixing of gavu pillars one could fine as from the Hatadage wahalkada inscription of king Nissankamalla that says Tam hinduva akuru kotava Nissanka gavu yay nam kota (Wickremesinghe.1927:119)These is a whale street of gavu pillars discovered though exploration the Rohana high way and the main road way to the east. A few gavu pillars on the way of Magana minor port are being carried close to Mahavilachchiyavava Magana port is sit