Heritage

Royal Palace of King Vijayabahu I in Anuradhapura (විජයබාහු රජ මාලිගය)

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King Vijayabahu I ascended to the throne in 1055 CE in the Rohana and 18 years after that and 3 years after defeating the Colas from India he celebrated his consecration in Anuradhapura. However, he selected to rule from Polonnaruwa and shifted the capital there.

The Royal Palace of King Vijayabahu I we see today is said to be the temporary palace he constructed for the celebrations of his coronation ceremony held in Anuradhapura. This building as it stands today measures 128×216 feet (39×66 metres). The site is presently known as Mahawatte-raja-gedara.

The architectural features of this building compare well with those of the palace at Panduwasnuwara. It had been constructed as a multi-storied building. Ruins of the staircase leading to the upper floor have been discovered. It is also evident that there were architectural features such as a moonstone, guardstones, and balustrades at the entrance. The guardstones at the entrance to the palace represent “Sankhanihi” and “Padmanidhi” (Sanka and Padma), the two attendants of Kuvera. There is evidence of the existence of paintings on the walls of the palace.

Today the road cuts across the courtyard of the palace and the gate-house lies on the other side of the road.

Bahirawa guardstones at the entrance to the Royal Palace of King Vijayabahu I

Ruins of Royal Palace of King Vijayabahu I

Remains of the walls with plaster at the Royal Palace of King Vijayabahu I

References

Seneviratna, A., (1994). Ancient Anuradhapura. 1st ed. Colombo: Archaeological Survey Department, Sri Lanka.
Wikramagamage, C., (2004). Heritage of Rajarata: Major natural, cultural, and historic sites. Colombo. Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

Also See

Anuradhapura – The city of the God King

Map of the Royal Palace of King Vijayabahu I in Anuradhapura

Please click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map (ගූගල් සිතියම් පහලින්)

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The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

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Photos before restoration from www.imagesofceylon.com

Driving Directions to the Royal Palace of King Vijayabahu I in Anuradhapura

Anuradhapura can be reached through many routes from Colombo. The two main routes are through Puttalam (Puttalama) and through Kurunegala. Travelling from Puttalam, you will pass the scenic Wilpattu area. From Kurunegala, there are two main routes to Anuradhapura. The most common route is through Dambulla. The other route is through Galgamuwa. Out of all the routes, the most commonly used is the Kurunegala-Dambulla route (Route 2).

Route 01 from Colombo to Anuradhapura	Route 02 from Colombo to Anuradhapura
Through : Negombo – Chilaw – Puttalam Distance from Colombo : 210 km Travel time : 4.30- 5.00 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map	Through : Katunayake Expressway – Central Expressway – Kurunegala – Dambulla Distance from Colombo : 223 km Travel Time : 4.30- 5.00 hours Driving Directions : see on Google maps
Route 03 from Colombo to Anuradhapura	Route from Kandy to Anuradhapura
Through : Katunayake Expressway – Narammala – Wariyapola – Padeniya – Thambuthegama Distance from Colombo :203 km Travel Time : 4.30- 5.00 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map	Through : Katugastota – Matale – Dambulla Distance from Colombo :136 km Travel Time : 3.5 hours Driving Directions : see on Google map

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