Dambadeniya ''(DMBD)'' is a ruined ancient city situated in the North Western Province (Wayamba),

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

on the

Kurunegala Kurunegala (, ; , ) is a major city in Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of the North Western Province, Sri Lanka, North Western Province and the Kurunegala District. Kurunegala was an ancient royal capital for 50 years, from the end of the 13th ...

–

Negombo Negombo (, ), also known as Punchi Romaya (Little Rome), is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the west coast and at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, in the Western Province, Sri Lanka, Western Province, from Colombo via the E03 expressway ...

main road. It served as the capital of Sri Lanka in the mid 13th century. Much of Dambadeniya still lies buried on a huge fortified rock. Dambadeniya is situated about 31 km from

, the modern day capital of the North Western Province. Dambadeniya is situated about 4 km from Giriulla.

History

Dambadeniya, about 30 km south-west of Kurunegala, became prominent in the mid-13th century.Dambadeniya Period - Massa Coins
/ref> It was selected as the capital of the kingdom of Sri Lanka by King Vijayabahu III (1232–36). The sovereignty of the country was at stake as a result of invasions, which dislodged

Polonnaruwa Poḷonnaruwa, (; ) also referred as Pulathisipura and Vijayarajapura in History of Sri Lanka, ancient times, is the main town of Polonnaruwa District in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. The modern town of Polonnaruwa is also known as New Town, ...

as the capital. Vijayabahu, the king of the Dambadeniya dynasty, fought the invaders and established Dambadeniya. On the summit of the Dambadeniya rock he built fortifications and sturdy walls and gates. The city was made secure by a moat, a marsh and ramparts around the royal palace. During the reign of King Parakramabahu II (1236–70), Dambadeniya reached the zenith of its glory. King Parakramabahu II's immaculate Poetic masterpieces "Kavisilumina" and "Visuddi Marga Sannasa" gave a turning point to Sinhalese literature. Dambadeniya era was the reason why Sinhalese literature is not limited to paintings nor scripts.

Environment

Among the ruins of the remaining palace grounds, the foundations are still visible. Excavations have uncovered remains of the temple of the

Relic of the tooth of the Buddha The relic of the tooth of Buddha (Pali ''danta dhātuya'') is venerated in Sri Lanka as a sacred cetiya relic of the Buddha and primarily refers to the purported tooth at the Temple of the Tooth, but can also refer to the one believed to be at ...

, the Royal Palace, gardens, moats, and city walls. The double-story temple of the Tooth Relic has Buddha images, identified as the Vijayasundararamaya. It also has some interesting wall paintings dating from the 18th century.

References

Bibliography

* Amaradasa Liyanagamage, ''The decline of Polonnaruwa and the rise of Dambadeniya'', Department of Cultural Affairs, Government Press, Colombo, Sri Lanka. 1968. {{coord, 7, 22, N, 80, 09, E, display=title, region:LK_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki Populated places in North Western Province, Sri Lanka

History

Environment

See also

References

Bibliography