Sin: කුරුණෑගල kuruṇǣgala – Tam: குருணாகல் kuruṇākal
‘Small Elephant Rock’ NWP, Sri Lanka
From Sin: kuru, ‘small, short’; na, ‘elephant’; and gala, ‘rock, rocky’.
Kurunegala is surrounded by eight large rocks each of which is given the name of the animal it resembles.
The largest is ‘elephant’ rock, also called A(e)thagala [Sin: aetha, ‘elephant’] and formerly known as Hastishaila-pura [Skt: hasti, ‘elephant; Skt: shaila, ‘rock, crag’; and Skt: pura, ‘fort, city, town’].
Elephant Rock has a 27m Buddha sitting on top.
Elephant Rock/Athagala Buddha (Kurunegala) Kurun