Dambadeniya, which used to be the capital of Sri Lanka almost eight centuries ago, is now a thriving tourist destination frequented by local and foreign visitors and can be reached in about two hours from Colombo via Negombo and Giriulla. The Dambadeniya town is between the 18th and 19th mile-post on the Kurunegala – Negombo road and recognised as one of the greatest cities in the country with extraordinary archaeological significance.
The Dambadeniya Vijayasundararama Raja Maha Vihara, which was the centre of the Buddhist renaissance during the Dambadeniya kingdom, was the famous temple where the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha had been deposited and worshipped for several years. Although the palace, which used to be the Temple of the sacred Tooth Relic underwent renovations from era to era, this is the oldest Dalada Maligawa which is well-preserved to date.
It is now a two-storey mansion and has been built on a raised platform made of stone. In both shrines are Buddha statues, other sculptures and paintings belonging to several eras. The lower image house is encircled by a circumambulatory passage of about three-feet wide. There is a wooden stairway that connects the ground floor with the one above. The interior and exterior walls are embellished with wall paintings and murals which are a cynosure.
Magha’s invasion
Due to Kalinga Magha’s invasion of the Rajarata, the kingdom expanded towards the Southwest. The Dambadeniya Kingdom began in 1232 AD and continued for almost five decades. King Vijayabhahu III made Dambadeniya his capital for the first time. He ruled the country until 1236 AD. Then the kings Parakramabahu II (1236 – 1270 AD), Vijayabhahu IV (1270 – 1272 AD), Buwanekabhahu I (1272 – 1284 AD) used Dambadeniya as their kingdom.
The Vijayasundararama Raja Maha Vihara in Dambadeniya was constructed by King Vijayabhahu III, who was a local ruler making Dambadeniya his Fort and capital. However, the golden era of the Dambadeniya Kingdom dawned with King Parakramabahu II being enthroned. He was known for his erudition and composed the great chronicle Kavisilumina too. That the reign of King Parakramabahu II saw a revival of art, learning and literature goes without saying in that he himself was an erudite scholar. He unified the country having defeated Chandrabhahu, an invader and regained Polonnaruwa.
King Parakramabahu II, who succeeded his father King Vijayabhahu III, made a splendid, palatial building in which to securely deposit the sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha. He has now come to be known as one of the greatest kings to have ruled Sri Lanka. The three-storey palace built by him was later renovated as a two-storey building by Meegasthenne Adikaram during the reign of King Kirti Sri Rajasinghe (1747- 1782 AD) in Kandy.
Chetiyaghara
The ancient Vatadage or Chetiyaghara close to the Sri Dalada Maligawa has been used as the building in which relic expositions were held. This chetiyaghara along with the stupa in it was built and renovated during the period of the Kandyan kingdom. The whole sandy courtyard in which several historically significant mansions are located is encircled by a huge brick wall.
Its Eastern entrance archway made of granite columns still remains well-preserved. Under this is a moonstone as the first step leading to the temple precincts. Just as we enter the sandy terrace through this granite entrance archway, we can see on our left a Bodhigara on which figures of lions have been beautifully engraved.
During the initial period of the Kingdom of Dambadeniya, the King’s palace had been constructed on the summit of a rocky hill known as Maligagala (Rock Palace), which is about 800 feet in height. The distance between the foot of this hill and the temple is just one kilometre. The Maligagala mountain is considered the site where the royal palace of Dambadeniya was erected by King Vijayabhahu III. According to the Dambadeni Asna, there had been two parts of the capital: the inner city and the outer city.
The inner city contained the palace complex and the temple of the sacred Tooth Relic. But Maligagala, a beautiful city then, has now become a mere rocky mountain with scattered ruins.
The Vijayasundararama Raja Maha Vihara in Dambadeniya was the headquarters of all religious and literary activities during the Dambadeniya era, making a unique contribution in the literary, cultural and religious renaissance.
