Hanguranketha Maha Vishnu Devalaya

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Entrance with stone steps to the drummers hall (digge) of the Hanguranketha Vishnu Devalaya — Entrance with stone steps to the drummer’s hall (digge) of the Hanguranketha Vishnu Devalaya

The Vishnu Devalaya at Hanguranketha is one of the main devalaya’s of the Kandyan Era. Although the origin of this devalaya is unknown, this devalaya has had the patronage of King Rajasinghe II (1635 – 1687), Wimaladharmasuriya II (1687 – 1707), and Kirti Sri Rajasinhe (1747 – 1781) of the Kandyan kingdom.

During the great Uva Wellassa Rebellion in 1818 against the British occupation of the country, this devalaya had been used as a fort by the British and had suffered some damage. It is said that King Rajasinghe II was cremated at Hanguranketha, close to the Vishnu Devalaya, and thereafter, his ashes were deposited at a site near Adahana Maluwa Gedige in Kandy.

The Department of Archaeology commenced an excavation in search of the tomb of Rajasinghe II in 2014 on a site in the Mahamaluwa of Vishnu Devalaya in Hanguranketha. The objectives of the excavation were to ascertain the historical importance of the site and to determine the actions to be taken to conserve it.

The Dig-Ge of Hanguranketha Vishnu Devalaya

The Vishnu Devalaya stands on a tall stone platform. A flight of six granite steps leads up to the drummers’ hall (dig-ge), which sits 1.15 meters above ground level in front of the main sanctum. The hall itself measures 18.35 meters in length and 8.1 meters in width. The lower three steps are intricately carved with floral motifs. On either side of the steps on the platform wall, two stone slabs measuring 53 by 39 cm feature elegant lion carvings.

To the right of the main staircase is an additional flight of stone steps, which appears to be a later addition. Another set of steps can also be found on the eastern side of the building, indicating multiple access points added over time.

Hanguranketha Vishnu Devalaya Building

Entrance to the main sanctum of the Hanguranketha Vishnu Devalaya

The Vishnu Devalaya lies at the end of the drummer’s hall as a separate structure on a taller platform but connected to the hall. Right around the platform, you can find fine floral motifs and female dancers carved in bas-relief.

The Triangular Moonstone

In front of the devalaya, two stone steps adorned with intricate floral carvings connect the drummers’ hall to the main sanctum. At the base of these steps lies a beautifully crafted triangular moonstone, measuring 1.68 meters in length and 1.25 meters in width.

The outer border of the moonstone features a striking design: at its center is a dragon motif, from whose mouth emerge two delicate creeper patterns that extend gracefully toward the lower edges. The innermost section of the moonstone displays a raised circular band richly decorated with floral and traditional motifs. Interestingly, the space between this central circle and the outer border has been intentionally left blank.

Decorated Pillars

Surrounding the corridor of the sanctum are a series of pillars made from brick and clay, showcasing a blend of strength and simplicity. The two front pillars are square at the base and cylindrical at the top—while the remaining pillars maintain a consistent square shape. Each pillar is crowned with an intricately carved wooden pekada (pillar head), displaying fine craftsmanship that adds a touch of elegance to the otherwise modest structural elements.

The Three Chambers of the Devalaya

The Vishnu Devalaya is composed of three main chambers, each reflecting a distinct aspect of traditional temple architecture and ritual function.

Visitors first enter the outer chamber through a doorway designed in the Sooryawanka style. While this entrance lacks elaborate carvings, the stone crossbeam at the base of the frame features beautifully detailed craftsmanship. An additional entrance on the eastern side, framed in the Chandrawanka style, includes subtle wooden carvings along the doorframe.

The central chamber, where the Kapurala (temple priest) conducts rituals and prayers, lies beyond. Its entrance is also in the Sooryawanka style, but unlike the outer door, it is richly adorned. Both the frame and the wooden doors are intricately carved with floral and creeper motifs.

The innermost sanctum, where the statue of Lord Vishnu is enshrined, is elevated about 20 centimeters above the central chamber and is built as a two-storied building. The entrance here returns to a simpler form, again following the Sooryawanka design but without decorative carvings. At the base of the steps leading to the sanctum lies a plain, nearly circular moonstone.

Aluthnuwara Dedimunda Devalaya

Just behind the main Vishnu Devalaya stands the Aluthnuwara Dedimunda Devalaya—another revered place of worship, though much smaller in scale. This shrine is dedicated to the deity Dedimunda, who is venerated under several names, including Aluthnuwara Devata Bandara, Menik Bandara, Uva Bandara, Aluthnuwara Deviyo, and Kirthi Bandara. The 19th-century British scholar Hugh Nevill (1847–1897) also refers to the deity by various names such as Devata Bandara, Veera Vikum, Yahala Bandara, and Yahal Deviyo.

The structure of the devalaya includes a verandah and two inner sanctums. Four ornately carved wooden pillars support the roof over the verandah, which is enclosed by low half-height walls. At the entrance to the next chamber lies a beautifully crafted triangular moonstone, measuring 83 cm in width and 70 cm in length. The moonstone’s outer edge features the traditional palapethi (lotus petal) motif, while the center is adorned with a flowing creeper design.

Panchanari Gataya Caved Stone Slab

One of the most remarkable artifacts of the devalaya is a stone slab engraved with the traditional Kandyan Panchanari Gataya design—a striking motif depicting five intertwined women forming the shape of a pot. Although this slab is believed to have originally belonged to another location, it lies in front of the devalaya. This carving is considered a masterpiece of Hanguranketha art and renowned for its intricate detail, refined execution, and aesthetic balance, the carving exemplifies the artistic excellence of the region. It also evokes the decorative elements described in the Maga Salakuna Sandesha poem, where similar Panchanari Gataya motifs were used to adorn ceremonial pandols in ancient Hanguranketha.

The Cremation Ground and the Monument of King Rajasinha II

King Rajasinghe II passed away in December 1687, and his royal funeral was held in Hanguranketha. The event is recorded by both Robert Knox and a contemporary Dutch document, offering rare historical insights into this occasion. According to local tradition, the cremation site was located next to the Vishnu Devalaya, where a now-lost stone monument once stood.

This monument consisted of a large stone slab resting on four short stone pillars, with a carving of the royal lion emblem at its center. There were no other decorative elements, features, or associated structures, which strongly suggests that the monument was intended solely to mark the site of the king’s cremation.

Sadly, like much of Hanguranketha’s ancient heritage, this unique structure was destroyed in the early 2000s when iron fences were installed around the town as part of a modernization effort. The monument was broken into pieces and removed, erasing a valuable link to the region’s royal past. Today, only two weathered pillar stumps remain at the site, silent witnesses to a lost chapter of Sri Lankan history. (S. U. Deraniyagala, 1996, p. 16)

Hanguranketa Vishnu Devalaya in Sandesha

This shrine was originally known as the Upulvan Devalaya. In the Maga Salakuna Sandesha poem—believed to have been written during or shortly before the reign of King Rajasinghe II (1635–1687)—the author instructs the messenger to behold the palace of the god Upulvan, its spires gleaming with gems, located to the south of the Udamaluwa (upper terrace) of the Hanguranketha Palace. Based on the geographical clues provided in the poem and the present location of the Vishnu Devalaya, there is no doubt that the shrine mentioned in the poem is indeed the same as the current Vishnu Devalaya. (Dissanayake, 1997, pp. 82–107)

The Destruction of the Vishnu Devalaya by the British

The final destruction of the Vishnu Devalaya occurred during the Great Rebellion of 1818, when British troops occupied the temple and used it as a makeshift fort. In his 1821 writings, Davy notes that while the nearby Patini Devalaya was already in ruins, the Maha Vishnu Devalaya was rapidly falling into the same state. He recalls that just two years prior, the British were barely permitted to linger in the outer verandah of the shrine. By the time of his later visit, however, he was able to walk freely through the sanctum, which had been stripped of its doors, emptied of its contents, and left largely unroofed. Davy attributed the damage directly to British forces, who had taken shelter in the temple during the rebellion and, on several occasions, defended it against large-scale enemy attacks.

Department of Archaeology believes that it was there that King Rajasinhe II was cremated. The Dig-ge, Devatha Bandara Devalaya, the kitchen and the ancient Jack tree in the premises have been named as protected monuments by the Department of Archaeology.

There is an interesting folklore behind the historic Jack Fruit tree in the Hanguranketha Maha Vishnu Devalaya premises. This tree produced the most tasty Waraka ( ripe Jack Fruit) and during the time of King Sri Vijaya Rajasinhe (1739 -1747), a huge jack fruit grew on this tree, fit to be served to a king.

The king’s men covered this fruit with a white cloth to indicate that this fruit was reserved for the king. The smell of this Jack Fruit was so strong that a villager (some say it was Andare, the court jester ) defied the king’s reservation and ate this fruit. King Sri Vijaya Rajasinhe infuriated by this act, ordered the villagers to be beheaded.

While the villager was being marched on the streets to the executioner, he started to cry and then to laugh out loud alternatively. The executioner was confused by this act and informed the king. The king brought back the villager and asked why he was acting strangely.

The villager said that he cried remembering his wife and the kids whom he would be leaving behind. Okay said the king, ‘but why did you laugh out loud?’

The villager said, ‘Your Majesty, I was thinking how you would go down history as the king who killed a man for a Jack Fruit’ and the king was forced to set the villager free.

The famous Jack fruit tree of Hanguranketha Maha Vishnu Devalaya

References

Davy, J. (1821). An Account of the Interior of Ceylon and of Its Inhabitants, With Travels in That Island. Longman. Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown.
Deraniyagala, S. U. (1996). Administration Report of the Archaeological Commissioner for the year 1996. Department of Archaeology.
Dissanayake, S. B. (1997). දියතිලක නුවර : පැරණි ස්මාරක හා ස්ථාන. Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka.

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