Pelenda Fort and the Galkanu Godella Rajamaha Viharaya

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Nestled within the Palindanuwara Division of Matugama in Kalutara District stands the Pelenda Gal Kaņu Godella Viharaya, also known as Pelenda Rajamaha Viharaya. Its origins stretch back to the turbulent Kotte era, when Prince Veediya Bandara, one of the kingdom’s fiercest commanders, chose this rugged outpost as his stronghold. Although the fortress he erected has long since vanished, roughly seven weathered stone pillars still mark its former perimeter inside this temple.

Archaeological Discoveries at Pelenda

By the early twentieth century, scholar Paul E. Pieris described Pelenda as a plain encircled by forested ramparts, with faint earthworks still guarding its approach. Near the Pelenda River lay the squared stone columns of Veediya Bandara’s palace—ten pillars in all, though only one remained fully intact.

Pieris’s excavations revealed that the mound’s upper layers were strewn with broken, ornamented roof tiles; below these lay charred beam ends and earthen infill between stone supports. Scattered among the debris were iron nails ranging from two to eleven inches in length.

The most remarkable find was a miniature copper yantragala, barely one and a half inches square, whose twenty-five compartments still contained a fragment of gold, a pearl whose luster endured after centuries underground, and gems including ruby, sapphire, topaz, and coral. A uniquely patterned tile—illustrated in Pieris’s reports—further testified to the site’s former grandeur.

A clay tile from the Pelenda Fort with a demon face

Prince Veediya Bandara

Prince Veediya Bandara was a great‑grandson of King Parakramabahu VIII (1484–1508) of Kotte Kingdom and, through marriage to Samudra Devi—daughter of King Bhuvanekabahu VII (1521–1551), became deeply entwined with Kotte’s royal lineage.

Portuguese chroniclers, including the Jesuit priest Fernão de Queyroz, branded him “one of the greatest enemies of the Portuguese nation and of the Faith of Christ.” In 1538, he wed Samudra Devi, only to later order her death after suspecting her of infidelity with a Portuguese soldier.

After proving his prowess on the battlefield, Veediya Bandara was appointed commander-in-chief by King Bhuvanekabahu VII, quickly earning a reputation as both the most feared and the most respected general, even among his foes. When Bhuvanekabahu VII passed away, Bandara assumed the regency of the Kotte Kingdom, ruling in the name of his young son, King Dharmapala (1551–1597).

In the years that followed, Veediya Bandara adopted a vehemently anti-Christian and anti-Portuguese stance, tearing down churches, convents, and schools wherever he found them. He boldly informed the Portuguese authorities in Colombo that the tribute formerly owed by the Emperor of Kotte to the King of Portugal would cease immediately. Although a truce was negotiated, during which Veediya Bandara consented to restore the destroyed churches, the Portuguese remained deeply distrustful.

They ultimately resorted to subterfuge, luring Veediya Bandara into their hands without open conflict and imprisoning him within the fortress of Colombo.

Escape and the Rise of Pelenda Fortress

Confined within the dungeons of Colombo Fort, Veediya Bandara executed a daring escape through a secret tunnel—built under his wife’s direction by expert mine diggers. Fleeing first to Raigama and then to Atalugama, he finally settled at Pelenda in Pasdun Korale. Here, the natural defenses of the forest‑clad hills and rocky terrain allowed him to construct an almost impregnable fortress. Word of his escape and martial prowess spread quickly; thousands of Sinhalese fighters flocked to his banner, driven by the reputation of serving under a warrior both feared and revered.

Conflicts with Kotte and Alliances

Drawing on the loyalty of the people of Pelenda, Veediya Bandara raised a formidable army and advanced along the southern coast to Galle. There, he systematically demolished every Catholic church in his path and executed eighteen Portuguese soldiers alongside three Franciscan priests, a grim declaration of his resolve. Having made his statement, he returned to Pelenda, gathered fresh forces, and prepared for a new campaign against the Kingdom of Kotte.

Kotte was then governed by his brother Tammita Bandara on behalf of the young King Dharmapala. Though he repeatedly bested Kotte’s armies in skirmishes, his alliance with Sitawaka’s King Mayadunne soured—Mayadunne ultimately colluding with Portuguese commanders to curb Veediya Bandara’s rising power.

The Battle of Pelenda and the Rise of Rajasinghe

Mayadunne, frustrated by repeated setbacks, struggled to assemble a vast force of thirty thousand troops and placed its leadership in the hands of his sixteen-year-old son, Prince Tikiri Bandara. Following his decisive victory at Pelenda, the young prince earned the title Rajasinghe and would become celebrated for martial skill second only to that of Veediya Bandara in Sinhalese lore.

After a protracted engagement—one that nearly saw Tikiri Bandara defeated—Veediya Bandara withdrew to Devundara with six thousand followers, leaving the remainder of his fourteen thousand-strong army in disarray. The fall of Pelenda Nuwara soon followed. Over two days, Tikiri Bandara and his Portuguese allies systematically dismantled the once-formidable fortress, capturing two war elephants, several pieces of artillery, and even a vast cauldron overflowing with coins.

Legacy of Pelenda Fort

Today, the seven weathered pillars and Pieris’s archaeological discoveries keep alive the memory of Veediya Bandara’s indomitable spirit and tactical genius. His story—of escape, rebellion, and extraordinary victories—remains one of the most dramatic chapters in Sri Lankan history.

References:

Bell, H. C. P. (1914). Archaeological Survey of Ceylon: North-central, Central, North-western, and Western Provinces : Annual Report 1910-1911. H. R. Cottle, Government Printer of Ceylon.
De Queyroz, F. (1992). The Temporal and Spiritual Conquest of Ceylon: Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Account of Ceylon (S. G. Perera, Trans.; Vols. 1–2). (Original work published 1687)
Gunasekara, B. (1900). The Rajavaliya or a Historical Narrative of Sinhalese Kings from Vijaya to Vimala Dharma Suriya II. George J. A. Skeen.
Ishani, R. M. (2023). ඓතිහාසික පස්යොදුන් රට සංස්කෘතික පරිවර්තනයේ දී වැදගත් සංධිස්ථානයක් වන පැළෑඳ, ගල්කණු ගොඩැල්ල පුරාණ විහාරයේ පුරාවිද්‍යාත්මක අගය පිළිබඳ විමර්ශනාත්මක අධ්‍යනයක්. URSARU 2023 : The Proceedings of the 8th Undergraduate’s Research Symposium on Archaeology 2023, 62–63.
Pieris, P. E. (1911). Pelenda Nuwara. Spolia Zeylanica, VII(XXVII), 161.
Pieris, P. E. (1992). Ceylon, the Portuguese Era : Being a History of the Island for the Period, 1505-1658 (2nd ed., Vols. 1–2). Thisara Prakashakayo. (Original work published 1913)
Pieris, P. E. (1920). Ceylon and the Portuguese, 1505-1658. American Ceylon Mission Press.
Senaveratna, J. M. (1931). Life and Times of Vidiya Bandara: The Greatest Sinhalese Captain of all Time (1st ed.). Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited.

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