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King Vijayabahu I ascended to 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 to 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 had been 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.
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
Map of Royal Palace of King Vijayabahu I in Anuradhapura
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
Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.
Photos before restoration from www.imagesofceylon.com
Driving Directions to 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 though Kurunegala. Traveling from Puttalam you will pass scenic Wilpattu area. the From Kurunegala there are two main routes to Anuradhapura. The most common route is through Dambulla. The other route is though Galgamuwa. Out of all the routes, the commonly used is the Kurunegala – Dambulla route (Route 2).
| Route 01 from Colombo to Anuradhapura | Route 02 from Colombo to Anuradhapura |
| Through : Negombo – Chillaw – Puttalam Distance from Colombo :213 km Travel time : 4.30- 5.00 hours Driving directions : see on google map | Through : Ambepussa – Kurunegala – Dambulla Distance from Colombo : 217 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 : Ambepussa – Kurunegala – Padeniya – Thambuthegama Distance from Colombo :210 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 hours Driving directions : see on google map |
