Panduwasnuwara Rajamaha Viharaya

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Panduwasnuwara in Kurunegala district is an ancient city that functioned as the capital of the country for a brief period during the 12th century. But based on the ruins found, the city had been an important location much before that, even during the 7th century.

Passing the ruins of the palace of King Prakramabahu (1153–1186) and the other ruins of various temples, you will reach the Panduwasnuwara Rajamaha Viharaya. Just before you reach the new temple, you will come across 16 stone pillars, the remains of an ancient building. Some of these pillars have been used for inscriptions, and archaeologists have dated them to the Anuradhapura kingdom.

Tampita Viharaya of Panduwasnuwara

The next building of interest is the Tampita Viharaya built during the Kandyan kingdom. A Tampita Viharaya is a structure built on a wooden platform that rests on a number of stone stumps, usually 3–4 feet tall. The roof is held by a timber structure, and the walls are generally made of wattle and daub. The walls inside the chamber are nearly always covered in murals, drawn mainly in Kandyan style.

At Panduwasnuwara Rajamaha Viharaya, the Tampita Viharaya stands on 16 granite stumps, with a mandapa in front supported by 6 granite pillars. The roofs of both structures are laid with flat clay tiles of the Kandyan era. Though there is no circumambulating path around the image house, a narrow ledge has been left on the wooden platform. The murals inside are likely not the originals.

Temple of the Tooth (Dalada Maligaya)

Among the latter buildings and scattered artifacts, three ancient structures stand out. The first is the Dalada Maligaya (Temple of the Tooth), measuring 50 feet long and 30 feet wide, built on a 5-foot-high granite platform. Its roof rests on 22 granite pillars, square at the ends and octagonal at the centre, each with carved wooden tops and intricately designed crossbars.

According to history, the Tooth Relic of the Buddha was safeguarded in Dambadeniya during volatile periods. Since no other building matches the description, this structure is generally accepted to have housed the Tooth Relic during that era.

Chakrawala Kotte and the Legend of Unmada Chithra

Another important structure is the circular foundation known as Chakrawala Kotte, located about 100 meters from the temple. The base measures 297 feet in circumference. According to popular legend, this was the tower (Ek-tam-ge) where Princess Unmada Chithra, daughter of King Panduwasdeva (504–474 BC), was imprisoned.

The Brahmins had foretold that her son would kill nine of his uncles to become king. To prevent this, her brothers confined her in the tower. However, Prince Deegha Gamini reached her, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to a boy, he was smuggled away and replaced with a girl. As foretold, he grew up to be King Pandukabhaya in 437 BCE, fulfilling the prophecy.

However, archaeologists believe the structure was actually built much later, by King Parakramabahu (1153–1186), when he was a regional sub-king.

Other Discoveries

In addition to these prominent ruins, several artifacts dating back to the 12th century can be found scattered around the temple grounds, shedding further light on the city’s historic role.

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Map of the Panduwasnuwara Rajamaha Viharaya

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