The Dasa Maha Yodhayo, or Ten Great Giant Warriors, were the elite champions of King Dutugemunu (r. 161–137 BCE). They were chosen for their extraordinary strength and exceptional martial ability to lead the campaign that reclaimed the Anuradhapura Kingdom from King Elara, the Tamil invader who ruled from Anuradhapura for over 50 years.
Labhiya-Vasabha, one of the Dasa Maha Yodhayo who served King Dutugemunu (161–137 BCE), was renowned for his noble physique and immense strength. Famous for building an irrigation tank single-handedly in his youth, he later became a heroic commander who helped defeat Elara and unify the Anuradhapura Kingdom.
Bharaṇa, one of the Dasa Mahā Yodhayo of King Duṭṭhagāmaṇī (161–137 BCE), was famed for his extraordinary speed and endurance. Renowned for hunting animals by outrunning and crushing them with his feet, he later became a key commander in the campaign that defeated Elāra and unified the Anurādhapura Kingdom.
Theraputtabhaya, a giant of King Dutugemunu, wielded a massive club to defeat Elara’s armies in twenty-eight battles. Following the liberation of Anuradhapura, he renounced his military life. Trading his weapon for robes, he became a bhikshu to conquer human passion and achieve spiritual victory through Buddha Dhamma.
Among the ten great warriors of King Dutugemunu, Gothaimbara occupies a distinctive place as a hero whose immense strength stood in sharp contrast to his diminutive stature. His transformation from a ridiculed young man into a formidable commander in the war against the Chola ruler Elara is vividly recorded in the chronicles Mahavamsa and Rajavaliya.
The unification of Sri Lanka under Dutugemunu is one of the most celebrated epics in the island’s history. This achievement was made possible with the assistance of the Dasa Maha Yodhayo, the ten great warrior giants. Among these champions, Mahāsona (also known as Soṇa) was renowned for his immense physical power.
Suranimala was one of the famed Ten Great Warriors of King Dutugemunu. Renowned for his extraordinary strength and courage, he played a crucial role in the campaign against Elāra, becoming celebrated in Sri Lankan chronicles as a symbol of loyalty, bravery, and martial prowess.
In the annals of Sri Lankan history, the reign of King Dutugemunu is inseparable from the bravery of his Dasa Maha Yodhayo, the ten great warrior champions. Foremost among them was Nandhimitta, celebrated for immense strength, who evolved from a lone vigilante in an occupied capital into a principal defender of Dutugemunu
Hidden within the dense jungles of the Padaviya region, Ashwaya Bandi Kanda—literally “the hill where the horse was tied”—is another prominent hill at Padaviya containing extensive monastic ruins. Although its present name stems from British-era folklore, epigraphic evidence confirms the site’s historical identity as Girikantaka Maha Vihara.
This pyramid-shaped, seven storied building called Sathmahal Prasadaya (11th -13th century) is thought to be an unusually shaped stupa.
Constructed by King Parakramabahu, the Council Chamber is located in front of the palace. It stands on three layers of solid rock, each adorned with intricate carvings. The first layer features a border of elephants, each depicted in a unique posture. The second layer showcases carvings of lions, while the third layer is embellished with images of “Wamana.”
The Kumara Pokuna (Prince’s Bath or Prince Pond) is an exceptional granite bathing pool located in the ancient city of Polonnaruwa. Positioned just outside the Citadel rampart near its southeastern corner, it served the royal household during the 12th-century reign of King Parākramabāhu I (1153-1186 CE) .
The Galabedda Biso Pokuna, or Queen’s Pond, is a masterwork of 12th-century hydraulic engineering located in Monaragala. Primarily associated with the fierce Queen Sugala, the site served as a high-status royal bathing complex. Its sophisticated design features a five-tiered stone structure fed by the Maragala Oya through four artistically carved lion-mouth spouts.
Queen Sugalā Devi was a 12th-century ruler of Ruhuna who led a prolonged rebellion against King Parākramabāhu I. As custodian of the Sacred Tooth and Alms-Bowl Relics, she symbolized legitimate sovereignty and fiercely resisted the unification of the Polonnaruwa Kingdom before her eventual capture.
![King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha [1798-1815 CE]](https://i0.wp.com/amazinglanka.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/sriwikrama-rajasinha-01.jpg?fit=300%2C171&ssl=1 "Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha [1798-1815 CE] (ශ්රී වික්රම රාජසිංහ රජතුමා)")
The reign of Śrī Vikrama Rājasinha (r. 1798–1815) represents the final phase of the Kandyan Kingdom and the termination of indigenous monarchical rule in Sri Lanka. Ascending the throne as an unassuming youth, his nearly seventeen-year reign was marked by volatile struggles against both the expanding British Empire and the entrenched Kandyan aristocracy.
![King Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha [1781-1798 CE]](https://i0.wp.com/amazinglanka.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/rajadhi-rajasinha-01.jpg?fit=300%2C171&ssl=1 "Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha [1781-1798 CE] (ශ්රී රාජාධි රාජසිංහ රජතුමා)")
Sri Rajadhi Rajasinha (r. 1782–1798), also written as Rājādhirājasinha, was the third monarch of the Nāyakkar dynasty to rule the Kandyan Kingdom. His eighteen-year reign unfolded during the collapse of Dutch dominance and the first efforts of the British Empire to secure control over the island.
![King Kirti Sri Rajasinha [1747-1781 CE]](https://i0.wp.com/amazinglanka.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/kirtip-sri-rajasinha-01.jpg?fit=300%2C164&ssl=1 "Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Kirti Sri Rajasinha [1747-1781 CE] (කීර්ති ශ්රී රාජසිංහ රජතුමා)")
King Kīrti Śrī Rājasinha (r. 1747–1782), born in 1731 on the outskirts of Madura, India, was the second ruler of the Nāyakkar dynasty. Though South Indian by birth and raised within a Hindu cultural background, his reign became defined by an extraordinary and sustained commitment to reviving Theravāda Buddhism.
![King Sri Vijaya Rajasinghe [1739-1747 CE]](https://i0.wp.com/amazinglanka.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/sri-vijaya-rajasinha-01.jpg?fit=300%2C164&ssl=1 "Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Sri Vijaya Rajasinghe [1739-1747 CE] (ශ්රී විජය රාජසිංහ රජතුමා)")
The accession of King Śrī Vijaya Rājasinha (r. 1739–1747) marked a decisive turning point in the history of Sri Lanka. His rise to the throne ended the Sinhalese dynasty and inaugurated the Nāyakkar line of rulers. However, he has consciously presented himself as a defender and restorer of Theravāda Buddhism.
![King Sri Vīra Parākrama Narēndrasinha [1707–1739 CE]](https://i0.wp.com/amazinglanka.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/narendrasinghe-01.jpg?fit=300%2C164&ssl=1 "Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Sri Vīra Parākrama Narēndrasinha [1707–1739 CE] (ශ්රී වීර පරාක්රම නරේන්ද්රසිංහ රජතුමා)")
King Śrī Vīra Parākrama Narēndrasinha (r. 1707–1739), widely known as Kundasalē Deviyo or Sellam Rajjuruvo, was the last monarch of the direct Sinhalese line descending from the Savuḷu dynasty. His thirty-two-year rule unfolded during a period of outward calm with the Dutch East India Company, though tensions simmered beneath the surface.
![King Vimaladharmasuriya II [1687–1707 CE]](https://i0.wp.com/amazinglanka.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/vimaladharmasuriya-ii-01.jpg?fit=300%2C164&ssl=1 "Sovereigns of Sri Lanka: King Vimaladharmasuriya II [1687 – 1707 CE] (දෙවන විමලධර්මසූරිය රජතුමා)")
The death of King Rājasinha II in 1687 marked a major transition in the political culture of the Kandyan Kingdom. His successor, King Vimaladharmasūriya II (r. 1687–1707), born as Mahā Astāne, inherited a realm fatigued by decades of warfare against the Portuguese and the Dutch.
