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Doramadalawa is a secluded village located between Mihintale and Rambewa along the route to Vavuniya. Despite its quiet appearance, it holds a crucial place in the Mahavamsa, the Great Chronicle of Sri Lanka.
King Panduwasdeva (504–474 BCE) had eleven children—ten sons and one daughter. The eldest was Abhaya, while the youngest, his daughter, was named Chitta. Soothsayers predicted that Chitta’s future son would one day kill all his uncles to claim the throne. Wishing to avoid harming his sister, Abhaya confined Chitta within a tower that had only a single entrance, guarded by soldiers to prevent any man from approaching her. As she grew older, Chitta became extraordinarily beautiful, said to captivate anyone who saw her. For this reason, she became known as Unmada Chithra.
Despite these precautions, her first cousin succeeded in winning her affection, and she gave birth to a son named Pandukabhaya. Before her condition was discovered, she managed to send the child out of the tower with the help of a female attendant. The infant was taken to Dvaramandalaka, believed to be present-day Doramadalawa.
In this village, Prince Pandukabhaya lived as a farm boy for seventeen years, protected by the villagers. During this time, he survived three attempts on his life made by his uncles. As the prophecy had foretold, he eventually killed all his uncles and became the ruler of the country in 437 BCE—the first king to govern from Anuradhapura.
A visit to Doramadalawa today reveals irrigation tanks, paddy fields, and families descended from those who sheltered the young prince during his early years. At the heart of the village stands the Doramadalawa Rajamaha Viharaya, a cave temple dating back more than two millennia, likely to the pre-Christian era.
The cave temple is believed to contain the longest cave image house in Sri Lanka. Beside it stands an ancient Vishnu Devale housing a 2,300-year-old statue of the god Vishnu carved from rath-handun wood. The temple grounds also feature several drip-ledge caves with inscriptions and a large rock inscription now safeguarded by the Department of Archaeology.
Also See
Map of Doramadalawa Rajamaha Viharaya
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Travel Directions to Doramadalawa Rajamaha Viharaya
| Route from Anuradhapura up to Doramadalawa Rajamaha Viharaya |
| Distance : 15.5 km Travel time : 30 mins Driving directions: see on google map |
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