Badrakali Kovil of Ancient Anuradhapura

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Located near Thuparamaya, the Anuradhapura Kali Kovil features a stone-slab base, plain moonstone, mandapa, and brick inner sanctum housing a venerated statue fragment. Its embedded stone pillars suggest a traditional double-roof architecture, with access historically restricted to priests.

Approximately 600 meters beyond the ancient Thuparamaya, along the road towards Lankaramaya, stands the partially buried remains of a stone structure, largely concealed beneath overgrown vegetation close to the roadside. The structure has been identified as a Kali Kovil dating to the ancient Anuradhapura period.

The structure has undergone partial conservation, and its architectural design exhibits features characteristic of a traditional Kovil. The entrance is approached by three stone steps, leading into a building comprising a front pavilion, or mandapa, and an inner sanctum. The inner sanctum was constructed of brick, and portions of its thick brick walls remain intact, extending towards the front pavilion.

At the foot of the three-step entrance is a plain, uncarved moonstone, or sandakadapahana, accompanied by a small stone foot bath.

Inner Sanctum and Architectural Features

Within the inner sanctum is a broken stone fragment, apparently belonging to a statue whose original identity cannot be determined. The fragment is nevertheless venerated by Hindus today, while local traditions identify it as representing a deity.

Stone pillars are arranged along the interiors of both the front pavilion and the inner chamber. Some of these pillars are embedded directly into the brickwork, serving to strengthen and reinforce the walls. This structural arrangement suggests that the building may originally have carried a traditional double roof, a feature associated with image houses of the Anuradhapura period, in which centrally positioned stone columns supported a heavy timber roof.

The arrangement of the pillars within the front mandapa closely resembles the assembly area provided for devotees at the Kataragama Vishnu Devalaya. This similarity suggests that, as in such religious structures, the inner chamber may have been a restricted space accessible primarily to priests.

The principal terrace is elevated on a stone-slab foundation. It is bordered by a lower tier on which no surviving structures are now visible. Today, the archaeological remains are situated amid private land and alongside a paved road.

Also See

Anuradhapura – The city of the God Kings
Solosmasthana – The Sixteen Buddhist Sacred Sites Hallowed by Buddha
Atamasthana – The Eight Sacred Sites in Anuradhapura

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Driving Directions to Anuradhapura (Badrakali Kovil of Ancient Anuradhapura)

Colombo to Anuradhapura By Bus

Anuradhapura can be conveniently reached by bus, train, or private transport. Both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned buses operate from the Colombo Fort Main Bus Station. In addition, luxury buses departing from various locations in Colombo travel via Anuradhapura to Vavuniya and Jaffna; these require advance online booking and generally operate overnight, arriving at their final destinations early in the morning.

Colombo to Anuradhapura By Train

Five daily trains operate from Colombo Fort Railway Station to Anuradhapura. Typically, the first train departs at 9.40 a.m. and the last at 8.30 p.m. The journey takes approximately four to five hours, depending on the number of stops made by the particular service.

Colombo to Anuradhapura By Car or Van

Anuradhapura can be accessed from Colombo via several routes, with the two primary corridors running through Puttalam and Kurunegala. The Puttalam route passes the scenic Wilpattu area. From Kurunegala, there are two main approaches: the more commonly used route via Dambulla and an alternative route via Galgamuwa. Among all options, the Kurunegala–Dambulla route (Route 2) is the most frequently used.

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 Maps	Through: Negombo – Chilaw – Puttalam Distance from Colombo: 210 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 Maps	Through: Katugastota – Matale – Dambulla Distance from Colombo: 136 km Travel Time: 3.5 hours Driving Directions: see on Google Maps