Sigiriya Gallinda Purana Mahasen Devalaya

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Sigiriya Gallinda Purana Mahasen Devalaya

Discover the hidden spring and ancient devala shrine of Gallinda, where legend says King Mahasen struck the earth with his golden sword to unleash life-saving water. Deep in Sigiriya’s jungle, this sacred site preserves centuries of faith, folklore, and Sri Lanka’s earliest irrigation heritage.

While Sigiriya is celebrated for its artistic brilliance, the surrounding forest shelters another remarkable piece of history—a sacred spring and shrine dedicated to a king who quite literally brought water to the wilderness: King Mahasen (reign c. 276–302 CE).

Known locally as Diyawara Deviyo (the God of Water), King Mahasen is remembered for initiating a transformative irrigation era. Yet the story of his divinity and the origins of the Gallinda well survives mainly through local legend—a blend of hardship, faith, and ingenuity.

The Gallinda Well: A Miracle of the Golden Sword

The story of the Gallinda well begins around 1,700 years ago, roughly 150 years before the rise of the Sigiriya kingdom.

According to folklore, King Mahasen left Anuradhapura after public anger over the destruction of the Maha Viraha Monastic Complex. While travelling through the dense forest near present-day Gallinda Hill, he and his troops faced a severe drought. Their water was depleted, and the expected flow of the Keeri Oya had nearly vanished, leaving the group close to death.

Seeing his soldiers on the brink of collapse, the king walked along the dried waterway carrying his golden sword. He noticed a patch of unusually fresh green grass amid the dry riverbed. Cutting away the grass and lifting the stone crust beneath it, he revealed a powerful jet of water that surged skyward. Overcome with relief, the king burst into loud laughter. The spring became known as Gallinda—meaning Stone Well—because it emerged directly from the rock.

This discovery was more than a moment of rescue; it fueled King Mahasen’s ambitious irrigation program, which he had begun to regain public trust. He encountered Gallinda while travelling to construct Nuwaragala Wewa (now the Maduru Oya Reservoir). The king declared the site a “victory ground” and briefly resided there while planning the Great Minneriya Reservoir, making Gallinda the spiritual birthplace of one of Sri Lanka’s most renowned water systems.

Gallinda and the Purana Mahasen Devalaya

The Gallinda spring and the Gallinda Purana Mahasen Devalaya lie deep within the forest, a short distance from the main Habarana–Polonnaruwa road. Access to Gallinda begins from the Sigiriya Road, which branches off Moragaswewa Road. The turnoff to the ancient shrine is located 5.5 km (3.4 miles) from Moragaswewa and 7.2 km (4.5 miles) if you start from Sigiriya Lake. A small gravel path continues for 200 meters into the jungle, where the Devalaya stands. A separate gravel track to the right leads another 125 meters to the ancient Gallinda well.

What Can Be Found There?

At the Devalaya:
This is a spiritual center for the Minneriya community, where rituals and traditions honoring King Mahasen as Diyawara Deviyo are preserved. It remains a place of prayer and ceremony deeply connected to the agricultural life of the region.

At the Gallinda Well:
The spring itself continues to be revered. Local communities believe its uninterrupted flow for more than 1,700 years stands as evidence of the king’s miraculous act and enduring divine power.

The ancient Gallinda (Stone Well) of King Mahasen fame

References

Gunsinghe, S. (2021, October 9). අතරමංවූ මහසෙන් රජුට වතුර බොන්න මතුවූ ගල්ළිඳ. Lankadeepa. Retrieved December 1, 2025, from https://www.lankadeepa.lk/sunday/rasawitha/අතරමංවූ-මහසෙන්-රජුට–වතුර-බොන්න-මතුවූ-ගල්ළිඳ/57-600545
Mahaweli Consultancy Bureau (Pvt) Ltd. (2014). Environmental Impact Assessment : SRI: Mahaweli Water Security Investment Program: Upper Elehara Canal (UEC). Ministry of Irrgation and Water Resources Management, Government of Sri Lanka.

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