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Kalutara Fort was built by the Portuguese in 1622 after completely demolishing the Buddhist Temple called Gangathilaka Viharaya. Later this fort was captured by King Mayadunne of the Sitawaka kingdom. The battle was led by his son Tikiri Rajjuru Bandara (later King Rajasinghe 1) who was 13 years old. Later it was retaken by the Portuguese and surrendered to the Dutch in 1655 without a shot being fired. It was enlarged by the Dutch with the addition of two bastions and massive ramparts. It is said that the Dutch Governor brought over architects especially from the Netherlands to rebuild this fort. While most of the building material was obtained from the surrounding area, it is said certain types of rocks were brought over by ship from the Netherlands itself. This fort fell to the British around 1796 and the fort was converted to the residence of the Government Agent of the British.
Today nothing of the Kalutara Fort or the pre-colonial Gangathilaka Viharaya remains and the famous Kalutara Temple which was built around 1960 lies on this ground.
Source : http://www.nationaalarchief.nl
Also See
- Forts and Fortifications of Sri Lanka
- Ancient Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of Kalutara Fort
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Traveling Directions to Kalutara Fort
| Route from Colombo to Kalutara Fort |
| Distance :42km Travel time : 1-2 hours (depending on the time of day) Driving directions : see on google map |
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